I Was Kagami Hiiragi, Part II
by bloodscorpion4ever
Summary: The second half of the tale of Kagami Hiiragi's downfall into a life of drugs, prostitution, and gang violence. Part I is provided courtesy of DMXrated01
1. Chapter 1

CHAPTER 34

Kagami could feel their eyes burning through the improvised shield constructed by her hands hiding in vain to hide from the world. She huffed and sniffed every now and then knowing that the eyes of Inori and Tadao Hiiragi were tattooing her just as badly as Tsukasa's arm. There she sat in their kitchen, the axe marks still making it a museum to her deadly paths chosen since the death of Matsuri. Her father and oldest sister were silent. They didn't say a word, but they didn't have to. Kagami said it all for them when she brought herself and her crying sister to their doorstep no less than an hour ago. Miki Hiiragi sat upstairs, tending her youngest.

"Kagami,"

Simply hearing her name uttered in her father's cold and hollow voice made the namesake jump.

"There's no coming back from this one, Kagami." Tadao's voice remained icy and dry. "We tried. God help us, but we tried. We gave you _every_ opportunity to fix yourself. And this is what you do. You got yourself involved with something like this. And you exposed your sister to all of it."

Kagami's already dehydrated body was able to produce more tears as the spotlight burned from above. She now knew what it felt to be an ant under a magnifying glass. She couldn't speak as her vocal cords were as frozen as her father's disowning voice. All she could do was nod once. She agreed. She allowed herself to destroy Tsukasa Hiiragi forever.

"Who is this girl Tsukasa was wailing about? She kept saying the name Miyakawa over and over." Inori finally inserted herself. "Is she the one who has also been selling you those drugs and prostitute yourself."

Again, all Kagami could do was nod.

"Who is she? We're going to call the police and have that horrible club in the Aku District shut down." Tadao said firmly.

Kagami trembled as the female devil's face appeared in her mind and her callous giggle echoed in her ears. She slowly shook her head and heaved on her own sobs. She dug deep and was finally able to utter, "I…I cuh-can't…ta-tell you…"

"Why?" Tadao asked. Kagami could tell her father was ready to lose his temper.

Kagami kept crying until she lowered her shield and showed the extent of the broken despair that was her face. She shook her head again. "She…she's…the devil."

The fractured family heard a door close upstairs and a pair of footsteps follow. Miki slowly shuffled down the stairs, several used medical supplies in her hands along with a few wet dishcloths. She dropped the medical supplies in the trashcan and tossed the dishcloths in the sink. Kagami slowly moved her hands back up her face, though kept her eyes open. Miki palmed the sink and leaned forward, using it as a crutch and stared out the kitchen window into the night.

She sighed loudly, sending another shiver down Kagami's spine. The Hiiragi housewife slowly pulled herself back up and rejoined her family. Pulling a chair out from under the table, she sat next to her husband and Kagami suddenly felt like she was about to try and win her jury over with her desperate pleas.

"That is a real tattoo in your sister's arm, Kagami. I tried scrubbing, everything I could think of." Miki said in an unfamiliar icy voice rivaling her husband's. "It's also horribly infected. Your sister is in grave pain from it and we're going to have to take her to the hospital for it. Kagami…"

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry, mom." Kagami wheezed. "I never wanted any of this to happen."

"We know, Kagami. We know." Tadao said. "But it did. Your sister was abducted, tortured, and inked…because of you."

His words cut through her like a knife through warm butter. Kagami hid her eyes and drained more tears.

"I'm done." Kagami whispered. "I'm done with it all. The drugs, the stealing, the lying, the sex. Everything. I'm done."

"Good for you." Miki said with a frown and unforgiving voice. "A lot of good that does your sister and all of us now. The damage has been done, Kagami, and I can safely say I speak for all of us when I say we don't want you here anymore."

The shards of Kagami's already broken heart fractured into dust. She trembled and shook her head. "Mom…please…I would give anything to take it all back. I just want to change so badly now…but I can't do it alone."

Miki stared down her gunsight vision of her estranged daughter. Images flooded her mind, though in a horrible mixing bowl of confusion, repugnance, and love. She remembered holding Kagami for the first time that hot July night after her birth. She remembered walking in on her daughter shooting heroin when she thought she was going to deliver laundry to an empty room. She remembered watching Kagami jump for joy when she wielded one hundred yen that she discovered under her pillow in lieu of her missing tooth that was there the night before. She remembered returning home to find Kagami had gone insane with the new drug that caused her to hack up their family home and nearly chop Tsukasa to death with that axe. She remembered taking that picture of Kagami and Tsukasa in front of Ryoo High School at their graduation only a few months ago. She remembered very vividly how Kagami showed up with the crying Tsukasa after being released from Yuka Miyakawa's clutches.

Miki turned her head to hide the tears brewing in the corners of her eyes. "I'm sorry, Kagami, but we cannot help you anymore. You're no long addicted to drugs. You're involved with violent criminals…and I will not let you put my family in danger anymore. From now on…you're on your own."

"Mom, please!"

"We gave you every opportunity to change your ways but every time we tried to help, it only hurt us. I cannot let you hurt us anymore."

Kagami was about to plead again.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go check on your sister before we take her to the hospital."

Miki stood from her chair and walked up the stairs as Kagami continued to cry and turned to her father and sister, hoping to find an objection to this verdict. She would never receive one. Tadao simply ordered his middle daughter to take what she needed and leave their house. Inori didn't say a word. She just simply retired to Tsukasa's room to check on her with her mother.

Now alone and disowned, Kagami had nothing left. She had completely destroyed her life and was left with only ashes. The memories of hallucinating Matsuri and Misao struck home and their echoing words pierced her soul. Kagami couldn't be here anymore. She stood, turned, and quickly ran out the door, leaving a snail trail of tears behind her leading back to the Aku District. The only place she could call home anymore. She ran past the hallucinations of her late friend and sister, both seemed to be dressed in black cloaks.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Unlike the night before, Tsukasa was awoken by the warming and inviting rays of the sun as they shined through her curtain. She stirred and groaned under the comforting hold of her mattress and covers, not wanting to get up. To her, it was just more time wasted when she could be sleeping instead. She preferred sleep to everyday happenings anyway. However, the arousing smell of her mother's homemade cooking told her that a sleep-in day was not in her future today.

Tsukasa threw off the covers and slippered her feet. Shuffling down the hallway, she could hear the conversations of her family and the smells of breakfast became thicker, curling a smile across Tsukasa's face. She arrived at the bottom of the stairs and looked around. She could see Miki finishing the meals while Inori sipped a mug of coffee and Tadao read a newspaper.

"Good morning, everyone." Tsukasa proclaimed with her feminine, innocent voice.

"Good morning," they all said in unison, though flatly while barely acknowledging her.

Tsukasa found this behavior odd, but the smell of Miki's cinnamon oatmeal washed away the hatchling suspicion and she quickly took a seat. The Hiiragi housewife placed a bowl of the steaming food before her youngest daughter and Tsukasa didn't wait for the rest of her family before digging in. The others slowly, but more civilly, began to slurp the oatmeal.

As the family ate in silence, Tsukasa suddenly realized when the sight of an empty chair to her left caught the corner of her eye that there was no Kagami. She looked at it before glancing around the house, finding no evidence of her older fraternal twin sister. The family also didn't seem to be concerned about the absence of one of their own.

"Where's Kagami?" Tsukasa asked.

The family remained silent and continued to eat.

Tsukasa suddenly felt a distinct cold run through the house and could've sworn she saw a jet of gray air escape her lips. She began to feel unsettled and couldn't help but gulp at the silent response. Looking through the kitchen window above the sink, she saw another picturesque summer morning, but failed to notice the layers of frost beginning to creak across the glass.

"Um…where is Kagami?" Tsukasa asked again, a sense of rising fear in her voice.

She suddenly saw the gray air leave the others' mouths as they ate. No doubt about it. It was definitely getting colder.

"Kagami isn't here anymore, Tsukasa." Miki said coldly. "Now finish your breakfast."

Tsukasa looked closer at her mother's eyes and felt her heart skip a beat when she saw them. They were dark and lifeless, like two coals. It made Tsukasa think of that old term that Konata used every now and then for a character in a dark manga. Yandere, if she wasn't mistaken.

"Wha-where…where is Kagami?" Tsukasa asked, the fear rising.

"Didn't you hear your mother? She said Kagami isn't here anymore." Tadao snapped, making Tsukasa flinch.

"Uh…ohh…kay…" she whimpered, only now beginning to notice that the frost on the window had all but encased it. "May…may I at least save some breakfast for Kagami?"

Inori giggled. It wasn't one of her normal ones either, no. This was higher and faster, more like a cackle even. It triggered Tsukasa to tremble. Inori's voice was even more gelid when it said: "Silly sissy…Kagami already had her breakfast."

 _This is too weird…and creepy_ , Tsukasa thought to herself. Something was going on and now she could see her breath clear as day. Wanting to know what was going on, she decided to finish breakfast first and took another bite. As soon as she sipped it, a foreign object found her tongue and tangled around it. Tsukasa opened her mouth and pulled out a very, very long strand of hair. It was a light shade of purple.

"Um…is this…Kagami's hair?" Tsukasa wheezed and felt her heart beat faster.

Inori cackled again. "I already told you, Tsukasa. Kagami already had her breakfast."

Tsukasa glanced down at her oatmeal again and saw a solid piece, pallid in complexion. At first, Tsukasa thought it was a banana as she scooped it up in her spoon. When she held it up and when the oatmeal fell away, her stomach dropped and she felt her throat lurch with a powerful gag.

An ear. A human ear sat in her spoon. Tsukasa screamed and threw the utensil across the kitchen and scooted back. Her back collided with the wall, making a few pictures fall and break. She looked at her family again and plugged her lips with her fingers when she witnessed her mother, father, and sister slurping bowls of oatmeal seasoned with human body parts. Inori dabbed her mouth with a cloth that Tsukasa quickly recognized as one of the ribbons Kagami used to tie her pigtails.

"What is going on here?!" Tsukasa wailed.

"Don't worry, honey. She'll never hurt you again." Miki whispered in a voice so deep, it was more monstrous than human.

Tsukasa's left arm suddenly began to burn and she looked to see a bandage wrapped around it. The center was moving as it seemed something was trying to struggle through the bandage. Tsukasa screamed and ran out the back door as her family continued to eat the remains of her sister. She tore through the door and stepped into a howling and freezing blizzard in the middle of summer. The snow was blowing and wind was violent, taking her by surprise. She turned back to see her family home was gone and she was stranded in the middle of a barren wasteland caked in white snow and ice.

The wind and snow continued to burn her flesh and she couldn't take the pain under her bandage anymore. With a vigorous tear, she ripped the adhesive gauze off her arm and shrieked again to see the flesh covered by the horrid tattoo shifting until it eventually parted and countless little black spiders came pouring out. In a fit of panic, Tsukasa scratched and clawed at her arm, desperate to get them all off. Eventually, they stopped coming and burrowed in the snow.

The ground beneath Tsukasa's feet began to shake until large ice spikes shot through the ground, nearly impaling her. They missed her and towered above her but when they reached their peak, Tsukasa cried again when she saw the familiar faces of all her friends (including Dr. Kishimoto) who attended the intervention. She looked and saw Miyuki Takara dangling from an ice spike and the impaled corpse turned its head to her to meet her frightened stare.

Miyuki opened her eyes, revealing her good right eye, and a dark cavity in her left socket. The empty hole remained black until a glowing green dot awoke deep within the dark abyss and Miyuki curled her lips to a repulsive smile that made Tsukasa's stomach flip again. The corpse of her pink-haired friend began to laugh, but the laugh was not her own. It was familiar, however, and the sound of it caused Tsukasa to lose control of her bladder.

"You're a part of us now, Tsukasa Hiiragi!" The voice of Yuka Miyakawa screeched and the green dot in the eye cavity disappeared, only for Miyuki's mouth to unhinge.

A giant green and black snake shot out from Miyuki's mouth and curled high. The snake had the distinguished face of Yuka Miyakawa herself and Tsukasa screamed. She screamed and screamed as the snake of her captor lunged downward and unhinged its mouth, rearing the rows of razor teeth. Tsukasa was suddenly consumed by black.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Tsukasa Hiiragi awoke with a violent scream and continued to cry loudly in the darkness of her room. She looked around, only to find that she wasn't in her room, or even her own bed. This sudden reality made her scream even longer and harder, not even recognizing when a nurse rushed in and turned on the lights.

"Tsukasa-chan! Tsukasa-chan! It's okay! Everything is okay! You're in the hospital!" The nurse exclaimed and held her tight. "You just had a bad dream! Everything is fine!"

Despite the initial shock, Tsukasa was able to take a few deep breaths and reality eventually found its way to her brain. Drenched in cold sweat, she trembled within the loving embrace of the nurse. When the memories of being taken to the hospital by her family resurfaced, Tsukasa relaxed and began to cry again, thankful that her nightmare was over.

As the nurse continued to soothe her, Tsukasa was able to recall a few things before her nightmare once again took over. She remembered that horrid girl that posed as a sweet and innocent person, only to take her prisoner and force her to witness vile things. The animal that tattooed her as she cried and begged for it to stop. She also remembered telling her parents everything on the ride over to the hospital. About Teasers, about Yuka Miyakawa, everything she had witnessed. As they checked her in to the hospital, Tadao phoned the police and relayed everything to them. For once, Tsukasa didn't think about her older sister.

The soothing voice of the nurse suddenly faded as Tsukasa's vision began to blur. She snapped her eyelids open and felt her heart speed up again. She was still very much awake, but now she felt like she was back in a dream. What was real? What was fake? The world around her slowly began to melt away as black veins began to creep across the whites of her eyes and her eyes began to glow red as blood. Satan's blood, if one was any judge of color.

Tsukasa could feel it. She could feel the rage and hatred boil within her body as her rapidly beating heart flushed more of the deadly drug throughout her body. Yuka Miyakawa remembered injecting Tsukasa with the drug. She took great joy in it, but would secretly lament that she would not be able to see what her latest victim would do next. Tsukasa's temperature spiked and without a word of intent, she slowly pulled the nurse tighter. At first, the nurse allowed the gesture from the silent girl, but soon couldn't help but acknowledge the discomfort of the embrace. She tried to discontinue the hug, but Tsukasa pulled her tighter.

"Um…Tsukasa-chan, you're…you're hurting me a bit." She said softly.

Tsukasa remained silent.

"Tsu-Tsukasa-chan…are you okay?"

Tsukasa slowly lifted her face and the nurse didn't have time to scream when she saw the rancorous glow of the patient's eyes. Tsukasa leapt forward and by morning, Yuka Miyakawa would claim another victim.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Alone she rested under the dusty covers of the moldy mattress in the dingy motel room deep within the Aku District. Alone she rested her tired, sweaty body as she pulled fresh air into her lungs as her womanhood still ached and pulsated from the latest round on the clock. Alone she was, now and forever, and trying to make ends meet. She had no other skills. All of that studying and academic integrity was now wasted because of her decisions. Because she herself made herself alone when she needed help the most, now she was alone.

Kagami Hiiragi felt her eyes sink in tears again knowing this reality and she slowly turned away from the closed bathroom door, where her client was cleaning up. She was already paid for the rent of her body but couldn't bear to look at the paycheck that would feed and house her for a while. The money was good, but it wasn't worth it. No, not at all. Now that Kagami had to fend for herself and was now longer giving all her money to Yuka Miyakawa, she was very wealthy, but she would give it all away to have her old life back. Nobody could save her now. Not even herself. The tears fell down her cheeks as she realized this would be her life until she died. With any luck, she thought to herself, the next customer would be the one to drive a knife through her head and rob her and finally liberate her from this Hell of a hollowed existence.

The bathroom door opened and a sharply dressed middle-aged man stepped out, fixing the collar of his shirt. He adjusted his tie and glanced at the human lumps trying to make itself smaller under the sheets.

"I…I guess you're wondering why someone like me is with…someone like you." He said with hollow pride.

Kagami winced at his comment. _Someone_. As if she was less than Kagami Hiiragi. She sighed to herself. She wasn't Kagami Hiiragi anymore.

"Well, it is an election season after all and well, well I hope we can keep all of this between us. If the media finds out…well my campaign…it'll, well, it'll—"

"Just go," Kagami whispered with a sniffle and pulled the sheet over her head.

"Yes, well," he said and headed for the door. He opened it and peeked outside for cameras, but then left. "Don't forget to vote."

When he closed the door, Kagami slowly sat up. She slipped her underwear on and buttoned her wrinkly shirt and shuffled to the bathroom. Looking in the mirror, she didn't see what she wanted. She didn't see herself. She saw a stranger. An animal. Her face was smudged in dirty makeup and she looked like a circus clown from Hell. The running tears only made it worse. Her own anger was boiling now at this situation she had crafted for herself and she wanted to punch the glass.

Before she did, a thought came to her mind. Something wasn't coming to her. A certain monthly visited her that always hit her right on time but was now late. It confused the distressed young woman. She looked down and slowly pulled her underwear forward. She could still see that ugly rash and it was getting worse. To her, it was just another part of her now like a freckle so she didn't care about that anymore. Instead, she wondered why she was three days late getting her period.

Almost on cue, her stomach dropped and her throat tightened. She felt sick. With a green complexion, Kagami rushed over to the toilet and heaved the contents of her convenience store breakfast into the dirty water. She heaved a few more times until her stomach stopped convulsing and she looked back at the mirror.

It suddenly hit her. The night before she made her appointment with Dr. Kishimoto. The asshole customer that tricked her and had unprotected sex with her. Why Yuka Miyakawa smelled her stomach and why she ordered Ryuji to beat her.

Kagami felt her stomach, almost certain she felt another thing twitch within her. Her face paled and she gulped as she looked at herself, able to whisper one thing.

"No way…"


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 35

Kagami remembered sitting in this clinic's office what seemed like a lifetime ago. She came here to get an STD test, but circumstances kept preventing her from finding out the results. She went there the day of her intervention that ended in failure after Patricia Martin posed as a fellow junkie to earn Kagami's trust, only for her to lead her to where her friends and family waited. Kagami was nervous this time, though. Not about the test results, but the potential behind another test.

She tried to keep her mind busy by any means necessary. She read all the anatomy charts hanging on the walls, tried to count how many lollipops were in the candy jar, even tried to find a clear image in the black dots on the ceiling panels around the fluorescent lights. Everything that could be a potential distraction was free game for her over the alternate thought fighting for her attention. Kagami _knew_ for a fact that she felt something in her uterus. Was it possible? Was she really pregnant? The very thought of it was so scary for her that she started to count the patterns in the floor.

How could she raise a child in her state? She had no home, barely any money, and was still fighting off a heroin addiction. And given her work record right out of high school, she could hardly be considered a positive role model for a child. She continued to dismiss the paranoia as nothing more than fantasy. It was the STD test she was waiting for, not her pregnancy test, though couldn't help but laugh at herself at how far she had fallen. Only a few months ago, she graduated high school with her sister. Now, she sat in a free clinic in the inner city waiting to be given the bad news and the potentially worse news.

The door opened and Kagami groaned to herself when it was the same nurse who took swabs of her groin on the day of her intervention stroll in. She held two folders. Seeing Kagami again in an even lower point than before made the nurse sigh to herself and acknowledge that the streets had won again. She often questioned if her career even made a difference in people's lives, but for now, the tests had to be read.

"Well, honey, I have your test results. I'm sorry to have to say this, but you do have a few things." The nurse lamented.

Kagami gulped.

"Your bloodwork came back positive for chlamydia, but we can cure that with antibiotics. Unfortunately, your bloodwork also came back positive for HIV." The nurse added.

Time suddenly stood still for Kagami and she could no longer feel her own heartbeat. Her mouth unhinged slightly in a silent scream of both shock and dismay. She was speechless at first until autopilot spoke for her.

"I…I have…AIDS…?"

"You have the disease that causes AIDS, yes. I'm sorry, honey." The nurse added.

Kagami couldn't even cry anymore. It was over for her. Now she could hear the clock ticking again. Her death clock.

"As for your pregnancy test…I don't know if this will be of any consolation, but you _are_ four weeks pregnant." The nurse added, looking at the other test.

Kagami's heart leapt into her throat and a new wave of emotions crashed through her mind. She suddenly remembered what her mother told her at her intervention. The words of Miki Hiiragi now fueled a growing fire of renewed life and charisma in Kagami upon hearing she was with child.

 _"From the moment I first held you in my arms, I saw your entire live before you had even lived it. I saw you making lots of friends, doing good in school, going to college, meeting that extra special someone, and to one day know the true joy of becoming a mother yourself one day."_

It was all suddenly very true. Kagami felt nothing but love. Her perspective on the whole world suddenly changed. The dark and stormy night that was her reality began to fade and comprehending the fact that she was pregnant sent the first rays of sunshine into her world. She felt her hand move to her womb. She couldn't help but smile as the nurse's words on STD care drowned away. Not even having HIV was enough to dampen the new light on Kagami's soul. She suddenly envisioned it all. Turning her life around, getting off drugs once and for all, stop prostituting herself, getting a full time job, getting her own apartment, raising her child as a single mother. It would be hard, sure, but not impossible. Kagami had already escaped the hellish clutches of Yuka Miyakawa, something only a few weeks ago thought impossible, especially given the latter's lust for violence and taste for sadistic torture. Nothing was impossible for Kagami now. She was going to give birth to this baby, rebuild her life, and once again make her family proud.

"And I'll schedule an appointment to terminate the pregnancy."

This final sentence snapped Kagami out of her distant fantasy and brought her back to planet Earth. She stuttered, "Wh-wh-what?"

"The pregnancy, dear. I said I'll schedule an appointment so we can terminate it so we can focus on getting you on your medications to control the HIV." The nurse repeated.

Kagami quickly shook her head. "I don't want to abort my baby."

The nurse gave her a skeptical look. "Honey, I'm afraid that the longer you prolong this, the harder it's going to be for you. There are so many complications if you decide to keep it. It'll only make you sicker, there's a chance the baby could be born with your disease, or you could miscar—"

"I don't care! I don't care about any of that!" Kagami proclaimed and wrapped her arms around her stomach, as if to shield it. "I want to keep it! Ever since my sister and friend died, my life has been one endless hell right after another! For the first time in my life, I'm actually happy! I'm happy that I'm pregnant! This baby…this baby is my chance to change everything about myself! To start over and begin my life again!"

As a mother herself, the nurse could understand where Kagami was coming from. When she remembered how she first felt when she learned of her pregnancy, it was without a doubt the best thing that ever happened to her. Having a child gave her more than the simple reasons to live. To know that they were responsible for carrying and ushering in a life that would depend on them for everything was more rewarding than the hard work they had to put in as mothers. The nurse could already see that Kagami was seeing her child's birth, its first day of school, graduation from school, its wedding day, everything. However, her education and training allowed her to see the future that the blinding light of the future hindered Kagami from seeing.

"I know you want this to work, but statistically speaking, I just don't think it will be possible." The nurse replied, catching Kagami's attention again. "Honey…if you try to keep this baby…it will only end badly for you."

Kagami leered at her. "Please. Give me this chance. Let me have this. I _need_ this to work. Ever since I started destroying my own life, I have been judged for the last thing I did wrong. This was wrong…but I want and need the chance to make it right. Please…let me have that chance."

The nurse sighed and admitted defeat to herself. It wasn't too long ago that she found herself in a similar setting and she could connect with the notion of always being judged by the mistakes of the past and the uphill battle to rebuild one's name. She prescribed Kagami prenatal medication and drugs to help with her future battle with HIV.

Late that day, Kagami returned and checked out of that dingy motel room. She rented a room in a more upscale hotel for the night with some of her sordid paycheck, but it didn't matter now. Tomorrow, she was going to have a long day. She was going apartment searching, put in job applications, and stock up on healthy foods for her baby.

As she rested on her bed, she smiled warmly to herself and began to stroke her stomach.

She cooed, "Hello, baby. I'm your mommy…and we're going to figure out all of this together."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Tsukasa Hiiragi slowly stirred from her sleep the next morning. The first thing she could comprehend was pain. Her head felt like it was split like a brutally peeled banana. She groaned in agony and moved her hand to rub her head. Her hand's approach was suddenly stopped, but not by her intent. Something was holding her hand back. Slowly opening her eyes, she suddenly became startled when she realized she wasn't in her own room. Panic began to strike when Tsukasa was able to look about her body and realize she was strapped to the bed. Straps held her torso firm to the bed and thick belts bounded her wrists to a limited stretch.

Her panic came so quick and fast that she couldn't comprehend that she was in a hospital. She started crying and thrashing under the constriction of the straps and screamed for her mother. In a flash, a wave of doctors and a few police officers stormed into hospital room.

"What's going on?! Where am I?!" Tsukasa cried and thrashed.

"Tsukasa-chan! Calm down! You're in the hospital!" One of the doctors exclaimed. "We have to keep you restrained until we know for sure that all those drugs are out of your system!"

"What are you talking about?! Where's my mommy?!" She wailed again.

"Your family is outside, Tsukasa-chan." Another doctor added as he helped to hold the panicking girl down. "You need to calm down. Everything is going to be okay."

Tsukasa was able to take a few deep breaths as she was beginning to realize she wasn't in any danger. She took a few deep breaths and huffed, "But…but why am I…strapped down?"

"Hiiragi-chan," one of the officers stated, more professionally and formal now. "There was an incident last night. You're being held down because you attacked a nurse last night after having a nightmare caused by a new street drug."

Tsukasa froze. "I…I what?"

The officer nodded. "We didn't think you would remember. We're talking to your family out in the hall now and they said you were abducted by a criminal we've been hunting for a long time now. During your captivity, she injected a new form of heroin into you and it triggered a nightmare that also triggered some sort of rage attack in the midst of the high and you…you attacked a nurse and…repeatedly stabbed her in the throat with one of her pens."

Tsukasa's face went white as a fresh snowfall. The increasing beeping of the heart rate monitor showed how Tsukasa's fragile mind couldn't comprehend that she was responsible for such an abhorrent act. As her eyes bled water, her family rushed in and Miki wasted no time in pushing her way through the crowd, even nearly knocking a police officer to the floor to get to Tsukasa.

Miki hugged her daughter tightly and Tsukasa screamed if what the officer was saying was true. Miki didn't answer and tried to keep her own tears in her head. She held her daughter tighter. Tsukasa demanded to know the truth again. Miki held tighter.

As the full reality of what had taken place the previous night began to sink in to Tsukasa, her meltdown only increased. One of the police officers took Tadao and Inori into the hallway for privacy.

"I uh…I guess you're going to tell me that I should look for a lawyer now, right?" Tadao asked as Inori held his hand. "My daughter isn't a murderer…and the fact that that nurse has died is tragic to all of us, but my daughter is still a victim, too."

The officer nodded. "We understand that, Hiiragi-san. We're still investigating the matter since the nurse did die from the attack, but from what the doctors have been telling us, a large amount of that drug was found in your daughter's system, which made her kill. We believe that she was under its influence and seeing as how it was injected into her against her will, for now, we suggest you don't find a lawyer. After all, the real murderer in this matter is Yuka Miyakawa."

"Have…have you found her yet?" Inori asked.

The officer remained silent. Not because he didn't have the right answer, but because he did. He as a civil servant, especially in this case, was able to reassure that Tsukasa would most likely not face criminal charges for the nurse's death, but he couldn't open the floodgate concealing the top secret police operation that was scheduled to be executed later tonight with even help from the Special Assault Team, Japan's equivalent of an American SWAT team. The information provided to them by the Hiiragi family led to the confirmed whereabouts of Yuka Miyakawa at that sordid strip club known as Teasers. Tonight, a raid was going to be carried out to apprehend the deranged psychopath, her cousin, and other accomplices.

No, none of this could be public knowledge. The local law enforcement agencies have been working too long and too hard to bring that devil to justice for all her crimes against the human race. If Miyakawa caught wind that the laws were closing in on her position and she escaped, God only knew how long it would be until their next break came and how many more innocent people would have to die along the way. Tonight would be the night that the long arm of the law would "put the wrath of the gods themselves up the ass of Yuka Miyakawa," as one police chief so eloquently put it in his memo to the Special Assault Team's commander.

"We're still working on it, ma'am." The officer replied.

The three of them stood silent, Tsukasa's endless wails of torment still echoing in her room. Hearing her own voice damn herself as a murderer made Tadao and Inori cringe. The father and daughter were both thinking of one individual they could really use the help of right now. As if on cue, she arrived.

"Oh dear…I feel horrible." A voice similar to Miyuki Takara's stated.

They turned and saw Dr. Nagisa Kishimoto standing before them, her conjoined hands before her torso gripping her satchel. She wore a somber expression, already knowing the story behind Tsukasa's dismay so naturally, she came to do her best for the poor girl.

Inori, who was always skeptical of Dr. Kishimoto in the beginning, was able to shove her ego aside and dash over to the family therapist and embraced her in a hug. Dr. Kishimoto dropped her satchel and happily returned the hug to the oldest Hiiragi child. The police officer left the family alone as Tadao joined his daughter and family doctor.

"I'm happy you could make it." Tadao said with a smile.

The two women disconnected their hug and she smiled weakly at him. "But of course, Tadao-san. When I heard what happened, nothing could've stopped me from being here."

Inori didn't waste any more time and she led the doc into Tsukasa's room as Tadao stood back and watched. He sighed and lamented, even when Dr. Kishimoto was met with a teary but still accepting notion by Tsukasa. Tadao wondered how long Tsukasa would have to keep seeing her until she was over an event such as this. Someone's death hanging over one's shoulder was as permanent as that infected tattoo on her arm.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

She was desperate at this point. The events at Saitama Central Hospital earlier today was the final straw. Konata Izumi already had to face the reality that one of her closest (if not her best) friends was gone, but after what happened to Tsukasa earlier today, enough was enough. The blue-haired girl hatched a plan and consulted with her friend Hiyori Tamura on it, only for it to be shot to pieces by the latter. It was crazy, stupid, and illogical. Still, Konata wouldn't take no for an answer. She begged and pleaded for Hiyori to help her until she had no choice but to concede to Konata's emotions.

The shorter girl stood in Hiyori's bedroom as the glasses-wearing otaku put the final touches on her latest creation. First incepted on her sketchbook, it eventually came to fruition in the physical form of a wardrobe. It wasn't just a wardrobe, if it could even be called that and Hiyori had to admit to herself that it made her gag on the inside.

Konata stood in front of a mirror and eyed the two-piece outfit barely covering her body. Her torso was hardly concealed by a tight black and pink tube top, while a pair of black short shorts complemented the seductive ensemble and fishnet leggings coiled around her with even more sinister intent, though Konata's intentions were far from putrid. As crazy and irrational as her true intent was, it was still pure.

Konata intended to sneak into the Aku District tonight as, unbeknownst to her, a large ensemble of Special Assault Team agents and police officers were beginning to meet at their rendezvous point to go over the final details of their assault. The blue-haired girl would disguise herself as a prostitute (one that would go without any transactions) and comb the area in a desperate Hail Mary to find Kagami and bring her home. Still haunted by the intervention, Konata concluded that she had nothing left to lose. When it became clear to her that Kagami might actually stay there until her last breath escaped her lips, Konata had to take it upon herself to change the future. These thoughts of her had awoken feelings for Kagami not even she knew she had.

"Okay, that should do it," Hiyori said and finished the last stitch.

"I definitely look the part for this place." Konata stated drearily.

Hiyori stared at the mirror and sighed. "Regretfully so. It's been a strange journey; going from those cheerleader outfits to this. Listen, Konata, are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, this is the Aku District we're talking about. You saw what it turned Kagami into."

"I know…and no, I know for a fact that this isn't a good idea. But it's all I've got anymore." Konata sighed and turned to her. "You're a good friend, Hiyorin, and I can't thank you enough for helping me."

Hiyori blushed slightly and looked away. She stuttered initially: "Uh-uh-of…of course, Konata. An-anything ta-to help you."

Konata was so blinded by her nocturnal mission, she didn't pick up on Hiyori's strange behavior. "Well, I need to get going. It's almost dark out and that's the only time I'll be able to move around."

Konata started for the door.

"Do you have your…you know?" Hiyori asked.

Konata stopped when she touched the doorknob and reached into her pocket. She produced a bottle of pepper spray. "Yep, I got it. No one will have their way with me."

Before Konata could leave, Hiyori stopped her one more time. "Ka-Konata?"

"Hmm?"

"How…how long are you going to keep doing this?"

Konata turned away and opened the door before saying, "Until this is all over."

She left.

Hiyori turned away and sank to her knees, feeling her heart beat. She frowned at the floor at the thought of the twin-tailed girl Konata was willing to put herself in danger for. She murmured, "Kagami is so selfish. She has no idea how lucky she is…to have someone like her…"

Konata hopped a bus that would take her to the decrepit part of town. She didn't glance at anyone, let alone talk to any of the passengers. She had enough street smarts to know when to keep quiet and to keep her eyes to herself as the only people who were on this bus would kill you if you shot them the wrong word or stare.

It took close to an hour for the bus to make its stop at the Aku District limits but when it did, reality was finally home and the full burden of what Konata was getting herself in to hit hard when the icy winds of the city chilled her flesh. She gulped but kept picturing Kagami in her mind and that gave her strength to step off the bus.

The air stank of burning garbage and human excrement, making Konata's once innocent lungs heave at the scent. The bus closed its doors and sped off, leaving a cloud of exhaust and dust to assault Konata's already ambushed lungs. She coughed it out and quickly looked around. Darkness waited for her down every path, minus the flickering of the poorly glowing streetlamps. A few dogs barked in the night before her, while a few random gunshots echoed across town.

Konata took a deep breath and cleared her mind. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a copy of Kagami's senior portrait. The blue-haired girl tried to hold back the tears as she gazed at how beautiful the older Hiiragi twin once was. So pure, so majestic, so strong, so full of life and youthful exuberance.

Konata found herself blushing as she thought about Kagami this way. She shook her head to clear her mind again and started down the street. It didn't take her long to see why no one came to this area. Garbage and debris littered the streets, up to but not limited to used syringes and bullet casings. Most of the buildings were made of bricks and their construction allowed for alleys in-between the structures, where most residents called their homes. Konata passed a few people huddled around a metal trashcan that housed a roaring fire. A few rats the size of footballs scurried in the gutters, grossing her out. Most of the buildings themselves were condemned and boarded up.

Konata spotted a lone man sitting in a cardboard box rocking back and forth and cuddling something. She had to start her search for Kagami somewhere and she figured to do it one person at a time, rather than approaching a group and making herself a vulnerable target. She approached the man and held the picture, catching his attention. His haggard appearance startled her when she saw his mouth was vacant of teeth and his face was layered in dirty hair.

"Um…excuse me, but have you seen this girl?" Konata asked and held up the picture while keeping her hand near the pocket that held the pepper spray.

The man quickly stood, making her tighten her grip on the weaponized lump in her pocket. He snagged the picture and began to sniff it, as if it held the key to immortality within its fiberized scent.

"Hey…have you ever lit a cat on fire then pee-peed in your mouth?" The homeless man hissed.

Konata gulped. She obviously wasn't going to get anywhere with this one, now she had to get her picture back. Konata looked up and pointed while exclaiming, "Look! Phil Collins has come to take us home!"

The homeless man shot his head up and Konata seized the opportunity. She snatched the picture and took off running. Realizing he had been conned, the man called, "Hey! Bring back my salmon, midget bear!"

Konata sprinted down the street a while until she took a breather. She breathed deep and looked up to see three real prostitutes standing on the street corner. They were dressed equally as provocatively as she was while taking drags on cigarettes and all three looked just as haggard and defeated. Konata approached them and offered the same photo to them. They threatened to kill Konata, thinking she was a "new girl" trying to muscle in on their turf.

The blue-haired girl was discouraged but wasn't giving up. She pushed on. Konata walked down another street and began to hear police sirens in the distance. It wasn't a new sound in this part of the city, but the fact that they kept growing louder told her they were coming her direction. Did Hiyori break her promise and spill the beans to Yui-nee-san? The flashing lights of quite a few cars came over the hill and Konata quickly ducked behind a dumpster and let all of them pass.

Yui Narumi was sitting in one of the cars speeding towards Teasers, distracted by the case file on Yuka Miyakawa. If she wasn't distracted, she would've seen the distinguishingly long mane of blue hair hiding behind a dumpster as they passed. She didn't, though. Instead, she saw both the paperwork and the raid in her mind that was to come.

She glanced in her rearview mirror and saw the sea of red and blue lights following her. Glancing skyward, she looked for the Special Assault Team helicopter that was promised to them that would have snipers in it. She didn't see it yet.

"This is a long time coming, Narumi." Her partner driving the car said. "But given the circumstances surrounding this suspect, the chief asked me to remind you that you're not to take this raid personally. This isn't a kill mission for you. Our orders are simple. Capture Miyakawa. I know that she's struck pretty close to home recently."

Yui nodded. "I understand, and don't worry. I'm a cop first and either way, the Hiiragi's will have justice."

Her partner nodded as she closed the file and checked her firearm. "That's what I like to hear, Narumi. Stay safe, partner. We're almost there."

She opened the cylinder of the revolver and saw the six .38 caliber bullets ready for action. She slammed the cylinder shut and nodded.

It was happy hour at Teasers so the club was more active than usual. Drinks were flowing like rainwater in the streets, the music was playing, the light shows were like a climactic battle scene in a sci-fi movie, and the girls employed by the club were swinging from the poles. Others were entertaining customers in the brothel downstairs. It was just another night for Teasers.

Yuka Miyakawa sat at the far end of the bar, captivated by a single rose she held in her hand. The petals had been painted black and she stared at the flower. Itou, the owner of the club and accomplice to her and Ryuji's illicit drug and sex rings, slammed the phone back on the receiver, making the deranged psychopath look up.

"Well, that makes six of our connections that haven't seen Ryuji. Where the fuck has he gone to?! You don't think those gangbangers led by that Junichi motherfucker got him, do you?" Itou shouted.

Yuka cracked her infamous, murderous smile. "I don't know, dear Itou. I just simply don't know. I'm sure he'll turn up eventually and when he does, I have to give him this."

Itou looked at the black rose. "What the hell is that thing supposed to mean, anyway?"

Yuka continued to stare at the painted flower. "Oh…it helps me to never forget. Which reminds me, I have one for you, too."

She reached into her tattered vest pocket and retracted another black rose. Handing it across the bar, Itou was confused by the gesture until he took it. He stared at it with confusion, still unable to comprehend the meaning behind the dark symbol, even as Yuka looked at her watch and scurried away. She made her way behind the main stage and glanced around to make sure she was all alone in the backstage area.

When it was clear she was, she smiled and walked over to the same janitor closet Ryuji threw Kagami into to beat the pulp out of her. Her orders to make Kagami miscarry the baby she still carried. As she unlocked the door, Yuka could still recall the vague scent of Kagami's body's gears shifting, as if it was taking a natural process to make room for something more. She sighed and shook her head but took comfort in the fact that Ryuji had failed her for the last time.

Yuka unlocked the door and smiled at one of her girls she "rescued" from the streets not too long ago. She was chained to the floor, but for good reasons. Her eyes glowed a haunting red as black veins cracked across the whites. Satan's Blood was surging throughout her body and she growled and screamed and thrashed in her shackles. The girl was ready to kill and when she saw Yuka, it was like dangling meat before a starved dog. However, what made Yuka giggle was the uncanny resemblance between her and this girl, courtesy of some makeup and a wig.

"I hope you're good and ready, honey. Our guests are almost here and they're looking for me, so I know you'll make me proud and put on a convincing act for them." Yuka said and stepped forward while producing a key and a handgun.

As Itou continued to stare at the black rose, a sudden series of movements caught his eye to his left. He saw shadows zipping past the creaks in the plywood used to cover the windows after the shootout with the gang members. The club owner and drug pusher approached them but before he could look through, a massive explosion blew the door off its hinges.

The blast sent the club into a panic and customers began climbing and clawing over each other to get away from the explosion, thinking they were under attack. They were. A team of masked Special Assault Team agents suddenly rushed into the smoking doorframe, MP5s raised high.

"This is the police! Everyone get down on the ground facedown now!" An amplified voice from outside called.

The club was completely surrounded. Police cars had the club quarantined with their spotlights shining on the building as more officers prepared to enter. Yui Narumi held her pistol up as she took her position behind her cruiser and aimed at the club, expecting to come under fire soon. Two helicopters circled above with SAT snipers dangling out the hatches, waiting for the kill shots on anyone trying to take off.

Itou recovered from the blast and reflexes motivated by his hatred of the prison system kicked in. He reached under the bar and grabbed the shotgun and stood. He fired a shot at the officers, taking one down before his end was met in a hail of returning gunfire. The coroner would later count twenty-six bullet holes in Itou as the SAT agents let loose on him. The metal projectiles tore his body apart and when he fell to the ground for the final time, the black rose offered to him by Yuka Miyakawa fell from the bar and rested on his bleeding chest.

The SAT agents moved further in and some tackled the patrons and strippers themselves to the ground. They were placed under arrest as more agents moved down the stairs where the illegal brothel was housed, commencing more screams and struggles as the agents kicked in the doors.

A team moved past the main stage and parted the curtain, only to come face-to-face with their target. The girl in golden hair and revealing clothes was armed and wore a look of murderous intent.

"Miyakawa! It's over! Drop the gun and put your hands in the air!" The agent commanded as two more joined him, their weapons raised high.

She screamed so loudly at the officers that Yui Narumi herself would later annotate in her police report that she heard it from outside and over the two helicopters over her head. Raising the gun at the officers, their training took over and she met Itou's fate when another hail of bullets threw her to her back. The blood rushed out the exit wounds as one of the officer relayed on the radio that Yuka Miyakawa was neutralized.

"Cover me!" Another ordered and stepped towards the body, his smoking MP5 still ready to fire.

He crouched down to check for a pulse, but made an unusual discovery. The agent was confused at first, but it suddenly clarified itself when Miyakawa's hair fell off. He grabbed it and held the wig up to his fellow agents.

"Fuck!" The leader yelled and radioed to the rest of the officers, "We have a negative confirmation on Yuka Miyakawa. Suspect is still at large, I repeat, suspect is still at large, over!"

Yui Narumi heard the transmission over the radio and cussed as well. Her chief rallied her and her fellow officers as the SAT continued to secure Teasers and bring apprehended suspects out of the club.

"I want a six block perimeter around this area! No one gets in or out! Shoot to kill if you have to but don't let Miyakawa escape!" The chief thundered.

As the officers began to establish their perimeter, they only concerned themselves with the textbook procedures and training, which only included securing areas on street level. Yuka Miyakawa however regarded their procedures with a feral laugh as she held her flashlight and walked through the sewer right below their feet. The tunnels would lead her straight out from the perimeter and the Aku District. The depraved psychopath held her flashlight in one hand and Kagami's glowing cell phone in the other, showing her a picture of herself and her family outside the family shrine during happier times. She grinned again and started to walk away.

The rats themselves cringed and dashed away when her phrase echoed in their caverns.

"How lovely…"


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 36

Miki Hiiragi always considered herself to be a strong woman and, after raising four girls, she was convinced that there was nothing that could dent or shake her morale or resolve. Kagami already proved that theory wrong with her own self-destruction, but at this point, her oldest twin was far from Miki's mind. The newest example showcasing the mother's weakness was her own inability to control her tears as they fell liberally as Tsukasa continued to throw up in the toilet bowl in her hospital bedroom.

The withdraw from the Satan's Blood drug was ravaging Tsukasa with no mercy. For nearly a full twenty-four hours, Tsukasa wished she would just die. The pain was indescribable and unfortunately for her, there was nothing the doctors could do for her. The drug in her system was unlike anything they have ever encountered before, especially with Tsukasa being its only living survivor. All the other meetings with this drug were held in the morgue so not knowing what to give her for detox, Tsukasa had no choice but to let it get out of her cold turkey. The results brought Miki to her knees once again.

"I know…I know it hurts, baby. Be strong, honey, be strong." Miki whispered as she held Tsukasa's short hair back as she continued to heave into the toilet. Tsukasa's body was drenched in cold sweat and she shivered uncontrollably. Her crying was what tore Miki apart the most, seeing her youngest child in such agonizing pain and there was nothing she could do about it.

Inori and Tadao Hiiragi could only watch helplessly from the open door as Tsukasa continued to spew her empty stomach and cry in pain. Every now and then, the dry heaves would stop long enough for Tsukasa to scream how much it hurt inside her. Inori, in a retro gesture, held her father's hand as they watched and supported Tsukasa. Inori found it difficult to control her own anger, especially when Tsukasa screamed that it felt like all her insides were being rung out like a dishrag over a sink. Kagami and Yuka Miyakawa were responsible for Tsukasa's state. Seeing her sister in so much pain after all she wanted to do was help Kagami made Inori want to grab a gun and declare war on the Aku District and all who resided there.

Seeing the reports and rerun footage from the police of their raid on Teasers wasn't enough to quell her anger, especially when it was confirmed that Yuka Miyakawa was able to give them the slip. Yui Narumi, in her own uncharacteristically gesture, took it upon herself to include the Hiiragi residence and their shrine in her daily patrols. She didn't know the extent of Kagami's involvement with this raging psychopath, but she had been a police officer long enough to know the patterns of criminals. She kept them informed of her daily routines, but even though the Hiiragi's were grateful for her dedication, it still didn't take away the sting of justice being delayed for them.

The brittle strength in Tsukasa's hands securing the rim of the bowl finally gave way and she fell to the side. She collapsed onto the cold tile floor and Miki rushed in. She called Tsukasa's name, who was still conscious, but was completely drained of energy. Tadao stepped in and helped Miki lift their daughter up and carry her back to the bed. Inori uncovered the bed and her parents helped their youngest into the bed. Inori covered her sister again and took a warm washcloth and began to dab the cold sweat off her weak sister's forehead. A nurse came in for a status update, but it was still the same as yesterday. The withdraw was torturing her and whether or not it would be over soon was still up for debate. The only thing the hospital could do was change the bandage on Tsukasa's arm as the infected tattoo continued to heal and give her a fresh robe as hers was damped in sweat.

Inori sat by her sister and continued to hold her hand as Tsukasa continued to pant. She even scooched closer, puckered her lips, and gently blew a cool breeze on Tsukasa's burning head. Though she didn't have the strength to speak, Inori could still see that Tsukasa appreciated the gesture by the gentle, broken smile struggling to form on her lips.

"Tadao…what are we going to do about that… _thing_ …on her arm?" Miki winced at the sound of it and could taste the bile as the word left her mouth.

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. "We'll worry about that when all of this garbage is out of her system. For now, we just need to focus on her getting better."

Miki nodded gently, trying to mop up her tears as she pictured how Tsukasa's life was going to be from now on. Her twin sister and best friend was gone and played a role in destroying their family, she was held captive and tortured by that animal, and tattooed by her like common livestock, and worst of all, she now had a dead person hanging over her head through no fault of her own. If all of that wasn't enough, now all she could do was sit back and suffer from this drug planted in her as it made its way out of her system. Miki sighed at how many sessions with Dr. Kishimoto it was going to take to bring Tsukasa back to a forced reformed definition of the word "normal" before all was said and done.

As she stood and nestled against her husband, a knock came at the door. They turned and saw Yutaka Kobayakawa alongside her cousin of Konata Izumi, but when they saw who they had with them, it made the family smile. Even Tsukasa felt a bit of her strength return when she saw her friends, especially the soft and gentle flow of pink hair drifting from the top of Miyuki Takara as she sat in her wheelchair being pushed by Konata.

"Sorry if we're interrupting," Yutaka began, "but we heard Tsukasa-san was feeling ill and we wanted to stop by and say hi."

"That's very nice of you three. Please come in." Tadao said gently upon seeing how Tsukasa's spark began to return.

Yutaka walked in and Konata pushed Miyuki. She still wore the bandage over her eye but if it weren't for it, her smile and gentle embrace would've told anyone who knew her that she was the same old Miyuki and that she was never attacked by Kagami.

"Hello, Tsukasa-san." Miyuki said and slowly stood. "May I give you a hug?"

Tsukasa found the strength to sit up and nod with a weak smile. "Pa-Pwease…"

The two girls embraced and the Hiiragi's were very grateful that their daughter had such good friends. Miyuki let go of Tsukasa and said, "I know it hurts, but don't worry, Tsukasa-san. It will pass."

"I…I hope so. I…I've never fa-felt pain la-like this." Tsukasa weakly replied. "Ha…how are ya-you feeling?"

Miyuki smiled. "The doctor's said I'll be able to leave tomorrow but don't worry, we'll still visit you for as long as you're here."

"Thank you," Tsukasa whispered.

As Miyuki continued to talk to Tsukasa, Yutaka looked at her cousin and still stared at the features on Konata that she first took notice of during breakfast before they came here. The skin below Konata's green eyes were dark and sagging, as if she didn't get much sleep. She was also yawning quite a bit on the train ride over. She decided to ask her about it, though that wasn't _all_ she wanted to talk to her cousin about.

"You okay, Konata? You don't look like you slept very well last night." Yutaka said.

It took a second for Konata to respond. Her fatigue was great and if it weren't for her cousin's voice registering in her mind, she probably would've dozed off standing up with her hands still on Miyuki's wheelchairs.

"Oh, uh, yeah. I uh, didn't get much sleep last night," Konata said, trying to hide the fact that she spent all night in the Aku District looking for Kagami. It was an unsuccessful venture and the operation had to be terminated early last night, especially when Konata was nearly discovered by police twice. She still could've sworn she saw her cousin's patrol car and the cracking gunfire nearby was enough to spook her as well. It still didn't change the fact that she still planned on trekking back into that wasteland until the job was done. She lied to Yutaka: "You know me. Once I get on a gaming roll, I just can't stop."

Yutaka hummed incredulously. "That's funny, because I didn't hear you last night. I even remember getting up to use the bathroom last night and I didn't hear anything coming from your room."

Konata stammered and struggled for a cover. "Oh uh, I it-I had my headphones plugged in. It was one of those first person shooters and felt like cranking it up. You know, to make it more real, and I didn't want to wake up the house with my epic warfighting skills."

The blue-haired girl finished with a forced giggle and turned away. Yutaka hummed again and narrowed her eyes at Konata. She turned away and decided now wasn't the time to call her cousin out. Yutaka knew she wasn't playing any games last night, but she still planned on asking Konata why she snuck into the house through the front door before dawn this morning. Just not now. For now, she continued to have a pleasant visit with Tsukasa.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

"And as you can see, this may be a studio, but the amount of square feet you get for this model is way above average for such a model." The middle-aged landlord said as he let Kagami Hiiragi look around the small apartment. "I can see you're rather young so this would make an excellent place for an aspiring college student and I can let you have it for 35,000 yen a month plus a 10,000 yen deposit."

Kagami was able to hide her sarcastic huff as she heard that last part. College wasn't going to be in her future. Not for a long time, if ever at this point, but that didn't matter to her anymore. Only her baby mattered and she kept that little being inside her in mind as she analyzed the apartment. There was no doubt that this was one of the nicer ones within her price range. It was pretty spacious for a studio apartment with one bathroom and a small kitchenette area. The apartment was also in a nicer part of town, not too far from Saitama's city limits and was still well within good schools and plenty of prospective employment opportunities.

"Out of curiosity, are there any children that live in this building?" Kagami asked and held her breath.

The landlord scratched his head. "No. This is a building more for single people and a lot of college students. Truth be told, I don't really rent to people with families. It's nothing personal, just supply and demand. There's a demand for a building where people like it quiet, so I supply them with said building."

Kagami closed her eyes and sighed. She should've known and even saw it coming to a certain extent. Why would this apartment be like the others? Of course all the affordable apartment buildings were the ramshackle ones near or in the Aku District, but Kagami would die before she would go back there and even believed that would be best for her baby as well. It wasn't fair and it enabled Kagami to see the bigger picture of the real world and its constant roundabout cycles of below average lifestyles. Single mothers with kids could only afford the crumby buildings in the crumby neighborhoods, where their kids were more likely to get into trouble in the streets and fall into crowds like Ryuji and Yuka.

"Oh…I see…" Kagami said gloomily.

The landlord cocked his head until he figured it out. "Oh…you're…you're pregnant…aren't you?"

Kagami nodded.

"I see." He said, his tone changing from enthusiastic salesman to annoyed spectator. "Well if that's the case, I don't think this place will be the right fit for you. I'm sorry."

Kagami leered and turned to walk out. She muttered something under her breath but the landlord didn't hear, nor did he really care. He danced this routine before and was bored with it. Maybe hearing Kagami's full story from her graduation, to her sister's and best friend's death that led her to his doorstep would've swayed him but she wouldn't use her mistakes to validate her worth to him. She was still hell-bent on fixing everything on her own. After all, she was going to be the only adult and role model in this child's life so she had to do more than just talk the talk.

When her fourth apartment hopping session with just as much disappointment, Kagami stood on a street corner and sighed. She stroked her stomach tenderly and feeling the growing baby's warmth was enough to make her smile again. Whispering sweet words to it, she assured her child that mommy was going to figure it out for both of them. She reached into her back pocket and pulled out a small notebook and pen.

She flipped it open and crossed out the fourth address. Three more addresses of apartment buildings and phone numbers of their landlords sat below the blackened four and Kagami readied herself to call the next landlord until she felt her stomach growl. She decided it was time to take a break and head back to her motel, but not before she would stop at the grocery store. No more fast food or getting by on instant ramen. From now on, she was going to cook everything herself and prepare healthy meals for herself and her child.

Though she had limited culinary skills that paled in comparison to Tsukasa's, she was going to do the best with the limited amount she knew. She stopped at the store and immediately jetted for the produce section, bypassing the candy section where her favorite pockey just happened to be on sale that day. The novelty goodies didn't even catch her attention as she already thought about what she wanted to eat for dinner. Money was tight after finding that better motel that had to act like an apartment for the time being until she could secure a permanent residence. The cost of her medications to keep her and her child healthy were also starting to thin the stack of cash she had as her final run as a prostitute. That was another thing on her mind; finding gainful employment.

Her employment and housing situation could wait, she told herself as she picked up a head of lettuce and packed it in her cart. The most important thing at the moment was making sure her baby was going to get the proper food and medication they both needed. Kagami never thought she would admit it to herself (nor find herself in the situation to admit such facts), but she was very happy. For the first time in quite a while, she was very happy and she had this baby to thank for it. Her mother was right when she said that the joys and wonders of being a mother were indescribable and that's what it was. To know that there was something inside her that depended on her for _everything_ was a very humbling concept.

The things that a strong young woman like herself once took for granted: the ability to find food on her own, the ability to protect herself in danger, the ability to think for herself. All of those things she now had to be in control of for she was going to be a parent. _Parent_. The word still made Kagami shiver as she would in a cold night. She was able to admit to herself that yes, she was scared of becoming a mother. However, there was one thing that scared her even more and that served as her motivator to fix the damage she had done already. That was failing another person who depended on her for protection and guidance in the world.

All and all, Kagami made off with a pretty decent bounty. She was thinking of a baked chicken breast with mixed vegetables and a side salad with a few assorted pieces of fruits for dessert. She paid the cashier the money and carried her bags out of the store.

"You hungry, baby?" She asked her womb as she walked down the sidewalk. "I hope you are, because mommy is going to make you a healthy and nutritious dinner for the both of us."

Kagami was still feeling good about herself and her prospects with this child, even when she rounded the corner that would take her down a new direction in her life, even though it looked just like any other street on the outskirts of Saitama. When she saw the dark blue van parked on the side of the road, her old instincts planted into her during her tenure in the Aku District resurfaced. It was the only vehicle on the street and Kagami suddenly realized she was all alone. She kept her eyes cast at the ground and began to hasten her pace and she could feel her heart start to palpitate as she passed the blue van.

The temptation to glance into the driver's window was strong but she was able to keep her face down. She couldn't quite put her finger on it but there was something about that van that seemed suspicious to her. Maybe it was the lingering post traumatic memories of a hell storm of bullets nearly tearing her to shreds at Teasers that one night, the night she was first introduced to death and the twisted mind of Yuka Miyakawa. Regardless, she saw the crosswalk ahead and knew her motel was on that block.

As she neared the corner, two big men a few years older than her stepped into her path. She held in her surprised shriek and looked up at them. They each had poorly groomed facial hair, piercings in their eyebrows, earrings, and wore loose, baggy clothes.

"Hey there, sweetheart. What are you up to today?" One of them asked rudely.

Kagami tightened the grip on her groceries. Her first thought was that she had fucked one or both of these guys at some point in her career and now they were looking to solicit her again. They definitely seemed like the lowlife types who would sneak around the Aku District looking for a quick bang.

"I was just going home." Kagami replied quickly and tried to brush past them.

They stood together, blocking her path. The other said: "What's the hurry? My friend and I were just on our way to a party and were hoping to have a pretty little thing such as yourself escort us there."

Kagami narrowed her eyebrows at him and prepared herself for the situation to go downhill. "Why don't one of you two shit-tards put makeup and a wig on the other? You'll definitely be turning a few heads when you get there. So fuck off and leave me alone."

Kagami cleverly side-stepped them and was about to make it past them. The two boys frowned at her and one stepped forward. He grabbed Kagami by the shoulder, who then quickly acted. She swung one of her grocery bags around and smacked him in the head, tearing the bag and exploding the food everywhere and he lost his grip. Kagami seized the opportunity and bolted as the other chased her.

As Kagami dashed for the crosswalk, she realized she had walked into a trap when the sound of the van's engine vroomed and the tires screamed across the macadam. Kagami ran into the street but only made it halfway until the blue van screeched to a halt and the sliding door ripped open. Two more boys dressed similarly to the ones chasing her jumped out and grabbed her.

Kagami screamed as they grabbed her arms and hoisted her up. The other two boys secured her legs and carried her to the van and threw her in.

"Hey what the fuck is going on?! Let me go! Please let me go!" Kagami screamed and the second set of boys jumped in and pinned her down. They tied her legs and wrists together as she continued to plea for mercy. "Don't do this! Please stop! Please don't hurt me!"

"Shut the fuck up, bitch!" One of them yelled and slipped a hood over Kagami's head, throwing her into darkness. "Our boss wants to have a word with you. This is payback for our brothers!"

"Wait, wait! I'm pregnant! Please don't hurt me! I'm pregnant!" Kagami screamed as reality hit home. This had to do with that shootout at Teasers and that reality became more violent when she heard guns cocking in the darkness.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," the gangster she hit with the groceries snapped. "Like we haven't heard that one before. We know you're one of Yuka Miyakawa's girls so shut up or we'll kill you."

The van was thrown into another gear and it began speeding away. Kagami once again couldn't keep herself composed and she started to cry once again. She would _never_ be free of Yuka Miyakawa or her crimes.


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 37

 _This isn't happening. This isn't happening. This isn't happening. I'm dreaming. Yeah, that's it. I'm dreaming. There is no bag over my head. I'm not being abducted by these gangsters who are pointing guns at me. I'm going to wake up safe and sound in my bed. Matsuri will still be alive and so will Misao. I won't be a junkie or a whore. Just Kagami. Kagami Hiiragi. Because that's who I am. I_ AM _Kagami Hiiragi._

No matter how many times Kagami recited those words in her head, it still didn't magically pluck her from the back of the van and place her back in her bed as the vehicle continued to speed down the road. They had been driving for more than an hour but it might as well have been a whole day. Every second that passed Kagami contemplated asking what was going on, but she gave up on that after she was abducted and they threatened to kill her if she said another word.

Paranoia surged through her and although she remained quiet, she still couldn't help but dread what was waiting for her at the end of this ride. The possibility of a grisly demise was ranking number one on her list so far since it was clear she was kidnapped by the gang that Yuka Miyakawa was at war with. She tried to remain optimistic. For the sake of her baby she tried to keep telling herself positive thoughts. Maybe they just wanted to know where Yuka was. Kagami never killed anyone and certainly didn't take part in that gruesome murder of that poor boy who was a part of this gang. She begged and pleaded for Yuka to stop torturing him, which earned her a black eye from Ryuji. Maybe she could really convince them that she was indeed pregnant. Since she was abducted, she tried to get a bead on who her abductors were by the conversations they had.

She was able to stop her crying and sobbing about half an hour ago as the initial shock wore off, but the piercing terror remained. As long as the ride was, she was able to hear a few things the gangsters were saying. They talked _a lot_ about Yuka Miyakawa and how she was proving more difficult to find since she had gone into hiding. Kagami was also surprised to hear that the police led a raid on Teasers, effectively putting that sordid epicenter out of business, which she was grateful for and knew that innocent girls would be safe now that it was gone. However, it made Kagami fear for her family's safety knowing that Yuka escaped.

One thing that continued to stick out to her was that the gangsters kept mentioning someone named Junichi. From what she was able to figure out, it seemed that this Junichi character was this gang's leader. With everything they were saying about him, it almost sounded like he was a very sharp individual. Their words painted him as some great military commander who was leading an army against a hostile force, but Kagami could understand that if Yuka Miyakawa was his enemy. Still, the more she listened to them, the more she wondered how deep she had gotten herself in.

She didn't know much about these "gangbangers" as Yuka always called them. All she knew was that they were her rivals in the drug arena and that they were supposedly at war with each other over territory, but a lot of that didn't add up to Kagami. There had to be more to the story but Kagami never had the courage to ask, especially when all the talks of guns and violence arose. She wondered if what she was overhearing was true. That this Junichi guy was a great leader, a visionary, a man of few words but vast intellect and spirituality, and if he was going to finally be able to carry out his plan once Yuka Miyakawa was taken out. Kagami gulped, thinking that there still was a possibility that she was going to meet someone worse than this guy's female rival.

The van suddenly hit the brakes and it came to a howling stop. Kagami started hyperventilating again as the gangsters shifted and grabbed her by each arm and hoisted her up. She stepped out of the van onto a gravel road. The air was much cleaner and smelled like pine so from the little intel she was given, she was out of Saitama and in the countryside somewhere. Depending how far they were, it would explain why Yuka and Ryuji were having trouble finding the gang members and their leader. But still, if this really was a war over territory to sell drugs, why would they be based so far away from the city?

In her darkness, Kagami was forced to stop and listened to another gangster open a metal lock and slide a metal door open. She was pushed in again, still trying to keep herself from crying. Her weak resolve was broken again when she was stopped and her knees were kicked out from behind her, making her fall to the floor and land on her kneecaps.

Suddenly, the bag was ripped off and Kagami's vision cleared. She jolted her head around as fast as a gecko's to survey everything around her. She was being held inside an old, decrepit warehouse that might have been used as a storage facility at one point. The ceiling was high and made of old metal, a few windows lined the ceiling and the top of the walls and a few ropes and chains dangled from the steel rafters. Sunlight struggled to shine through the dirty windows covered with dust and grime.

She heard more metal mechanisms click and she looked before her and saw another gangster locking and loading a military rifle. Breathing hard, she looked up to her left and right, and also saw two other gangsters also bearing the same rifles. A door to Kagami's right opened at the other end of the warehouse and three more gangsters entered and to Kagami's surprise, they had another hostage. A young man who also had a bag over his head with his hands bound behind his back and he was still putting up a struggle as they pushed him closer to Kagami.

When they stopped before Kagami, she still stared up with watery, panicked eyes. One of the gangsters ripped the burlap bag off their prisoner's head and Kagami's jaw fell open and her pupils shrank to incomprehensible dots. Ryuji Katsumoto, the cousin and crime accomplice of Yuka Miyakawa and the one responsible for the worst and abhorrent treatment of young women, was standing before Kagami. His face was beaten and bruised from obvious repeated blows as blood leaked from his cuts and mouth and his left eye was swollen shut.

"Ra-Ra-Ree-Ryuji…?!" Kagami cried. "What are you doing here?!"

"Same reason you're here, Hiiragi. To die." He replied coldly.

Kagami once again resumed panicking. "Wh-What?!"

"That's right. It's been cool knowing you and by the way, thanks for letting me fuck you that one night. You were asleep when I did it, but thanks anyway." He bit with venom in his tone.

Kagami's mind was too focused on that previous death statement. Her worst fear was coming to fruition. That time in the van was her last ride. She wept, "No! Anything but that! I'm pregnant! Please don't let this happen!"

"Quit your bitching!" One of the gangsters yelled in Kagami's face, making her eyes drip. "You two will have plenty of time to reminisce in Hell!"

"Bring him over here!" A new voice thundered.

Everyone turned and saw another figure standing in the open doorway where they brought Ryuji in. It was a young man and fairly tall with a thick upper body. His thick arms were crossed against his chest in a condemned gesture. The dark shadows draped around him hid his identity but the gangsters sure knew who he was.

"Bring him here now!" He thundered again.

"Right, boss!" The gangsters who held Ryuji replied and dragged the struggling and kicking criminal over to the dark figure.

Kagami watched everything from her place on the ground while the other gangsters guarded her. Through her blurry vision, she was able to see the gangsters push Ryuji down to his knees. She could barely hear their conversation from the distance.

"Trust me, it goes without saying that we've been looking for you for a long time." The shadowy figure snapped at Ryuji as he looked down at him.

"Oh I believe you, Watanabe. But trust _me_ , it goes without saying I don't give a fuck." Ryuji snarled.

The shadowy figure shook his head. "Defiant until the end. I don't even know if you're brave or just stupid. Anyway, tell me where we can find that cousin of yours. I've got a .50 caliber bullet with her name written on it sitting at my house that I've been dying to put inside her for a while."

"Eat shit and die, Watanabe!" Ryuji yelled. "The next time I see you, we will both be in Hell!"

The shadowy figure nodded slightly before reaching for towards his right hip. He pulled something away from his hip and raised it towards Ryuji and said, "After you, Ryuji."

A deafening bang echoed in the room in conjunction with a flash of light in front of Ryuji's head. The criminal's head suddenly exploded out the back and painted the floor behind him red and pink. Kagami screamed her lungs dry when she saw the spectacle and Ryuji's body fell backward with a splat, still dripping the contents of his skull cavity. It was all Kagami needed to see to know that she and her baby were going to die in this warehouse in the middle of who the hell knew where. The gang leader stepped from Ryuji's dead body and into the light, carrying a Desert Eagle pistol chambered for a .50 caliber bullet.

She slumped forward and wailed loudly while keeping her eyes sealed shut. She cried, panted, and gagged on her own raw terror and the sound of approaching footsteps made it worse. Apparently she had just seen what kind of leader Junichi Watanabe was. He was one that carried out his gang's own brutal style of justice and was no different than Yuka Miyakawa. A degenerate who thrived on the blood and deaths of others.

The footsteps grew louder until they stopped before Kagami. Kagami continued to weep and was too scared to look up.

"Hey…don't I know you?" His voice said from above her.

The question was enough to rouse Kagami's mind and she slowly opened her eyes while sighing a confused hum. She was suddenly torn. None of the gangsters were forcing her to stand to face her execution, but the gang leader didn't say anything more. What was this? Kagami had no clue. Was this trick? If so, what would be the point? They already had her exactly where they wanted and had the tool to finish her forever so why the sudden stall and question?

"Look at me." The gang leader said calmly and more, well, human, than when he was talking to Ryuji.

Kagami inhaled a deep breath and slowly pulled herself up and looked up. The gang leader towered above her like some great skyscraper and he still held the powerful pistol on his hand. Kagami noticed how muscular he was and how many tattoos were covering his arms. His hair was short and spiked and he was dressed like the rest of the gangsters. Like they were geared for war. His face though was very soft, as if he himself was a student at Ryoo High School the same time she was. Hell, he looked like he was still in school.

He slowly crouched down to her, making Kagami pant again but she kept staring at him through her crying eyes. Their faces now separated by two feet of space, he narrowed his eyes and said, "Are you…Kagami Hiiragi?"

She stopped breathing heavily and her mouth opened again. At first she was convinced that her ears had lied to her. This boy, a person she had never met before and had just murdered someone before her own eyes, knew her name. If her ears were in fact being honest with her, she couldn't tell if this was a good thing or a bad thing.

Her throat was like cotton and her tongue like sandpaper as she grunted for her first response. After a few more attempts, she wheezed, "Ya-ye…yes…I am Kagami Hiiragi."

The boy tilted his head again, as if he was struggling to comprehend a work of art in a museum. Kagami didn't know that that was exactly what the boy thought he was looking at. A work of art. However, it was a piece of art that had been tarnished and desecrated by animal thugs. The beauty was still there, but it just needed to be uncovered again.

"Daughter of Tadao Hiiragi?" He asked.

Kagami's confused emotions now teetered towards scared. She already knew that Yuka Miyakawa knew where her family lived, but now that these heavily armed gangsters knew who her father was, she jumped to the worst case scenario she could concoct. That scenario detailed this boy yelling to "bring them in" or something similar, and then all of Kagami's family members would be dragged in, equally terrified and scared. Kagami would then be forced to watch the execution of her family one member at a time until she would be saved for last. In a strange turn of fate, destiny soon showed Kagami that that was not what was instore for her.

"It's okay. Please don't be afraid, Kagami." He said and to Kagami's relief, put the gun in his hip holster. "I know your father, Tadao Hiiragi. I…I actually have a history with him."

Kagami sniffled. "You…you do?"

He nodded. "He was a spiritual mentor of mine a few years ago and has been a real voice of reason for struggling youths." Before Kagami could respond, the boy stood up. "Stand her up and untie her."

The gangsters helped Kagami up without a single negative word and one produced a knife that he used to cut the cord binding Kagami's wrists behind her back. She held her wrists in front of her and rubbed them and looked up at him. He had a considerable height over Kagami, as well as a very muscular build.

"Get rid of that piece of shit." He ordered his men, referring to Ryuji's bleeding corpse. They obeyed again and he turned back to Kagami. "I'm sorry you had to witness that, but believe me when I say he had it coming, just like his cousin. I'm sure you agree with me."

Kagami was still too stunned to fully comprehend that she wasn't in any danger. All she could do was watch the gangsters as they gathered around Ryuji's body and callously drag it out the back door by his legs. She continued to stare, her pupils still small.

"Kagami, are you going to be okay?" He asked.

Kagami turned back to him. "So…you're not going to hurt me? Or my family?"

He shook his head. "I wouldn't even dream of it. In fact, I was hoping that one day our paths would cross. I've always wanted to say I'm sorry about your sister and your friend. I read about them in the newspaper."

Kagami felt her eyes constrict and she looked away. "I…I guess if you know about that, then I guess you know about… _me_ …and all the horrible things I've done since they passed."

He sighed. "I have heard of a few mistakes, but we're all human, Kagami."

Kagami batted her eyes. "You're…you're treating me so kindly…and I don't even know you. Why?"

It suddenly dawned on him. "You're right. That was presumptuous of me and I apologize for getting ahead of myself. My name is Watanabe. Junichi Watanabe."

Despite the setting, Kagami couldn't help but acknowledge how well-spoken he was considering what seemed to be his job title. She asked if he was the one leading a gang against Yuka Miyakawa.

"I am. Our relationship has been, well, on edge for quite some time until we decided to sever our ties with her and push her out." Junichi replied. "First thing I would like you to know is that, contrary to what Yuka may have told you, this war _isn't_ about drugs or territory."

"It's not?"

"No. In fact, it's about quite the opposite actually."

Before Kagami could respond with her words, her stomach did it for her. It growled so loud that it echoed in the vast warehouse and Kagami quickly glowed red and tried to hide behind her long hair. Junichi formed half a grin.

"How long has it been since you've eaten?" He asked softly.

Kagami gulped. "Not since breakfast this morning. I've been apartment hunting and I dropped my groceries on my way back to my motel when your men well, you know."

Junichi nodded. "Again, my fault. But in their defense, they were following my orders. I ordered them to find _everyone_ linked to Yuka and bring them here. But please, come with me, Kagami. I'll see to it that you get a nice meal and shelter for the night. When you see outside, I also imagine that you'll have more questions about where you are."

He turned and began to walk towards the door he first came in. Kagami stared at his shrinking figure and suddenly realized she was standing at a strange crossroad. Would she follow him or run? It screamed in her head not to follow this boy that she just watched execute someone. Granted, he was right when he said Ryuji had it coming. He was after all the man who first introduced heroin and prostitution into Kagami's world by taking advantage of her emotional state after she lost Matsuri and Misao. God only knew how many other girls were pimped and turned into junkies by him, but still, could Kagami really trust _anyone_ who could so ruthlessly kill another person then have a casual conversation like nothing ever happened?

Her stomach rumbled again and then she realized that her baby was hungry as well. Whenever she went hungry, so did her child, and that was something that Kagami could _never_ allow. She gulped again and stepped after Junichi. Following him through the warehouse, she paid no attention to the large puddle of blood that once was Ryuji's head and made her way outside into the warm summer day.

The sun was bright and after being inside darkness for such a long time, her eyes stung from the adjustment. When her vision cleared, she was surprised to see a neighborhood before her. The warehouse sat on a street's dead end in a field but the neighborhood was on a single street with houses lining each side. The houses were small but still seemed habitable and Kagami was surprised to see people walking out and about. Even children were playing hopscotch in drawn squares on the street while younger boys were playing catch with each other on the yards in front of the houses.

It was strange, if not ominous to see something like this for Kagami. Where was she? How could such a place exist after everything Yuka was telling her? Kagami squinted and saw Junichi now walking away from her on a sidewalk and she had to do a quick sprint to catch up to him.

"Uh…Watanabe-san?" Kagami asked.

"Please call me Junichi." He replied.

"Okay…Junichi…uh…I can't even right now."

Junichi chuckled lightly. "I bet you're wondering where you are and what this place is."

Kagami nodded. "Among other things, but let's start with that."

He nodded back. "All the people you see here were once homeless, even the children. Especially the children. All of these people are the victims of either domestic violence and abuse or have lost their homes do to whatever circumstances. Poverty mostly. Yuka Miyakawa and her cousin took advantage of their situations and scooped as many of the young girls and women up as possible. They got them hooked on drugs and forced them to sell their bodies after they built that horrible club."

"Teasers." Kagami murmured.

"Exactly." Junichi said. "I couldn't stand idly by and let her and Ryuji do all of that. Not after, well, I have a connection to the Aku District after all."

Kagami squinted at him. "What kind of connection?"

Junichi looked up at a house where a middle-aged woman was watering her flowerbeds. "Mama-Sanae! We have a guest who could really use a good hearty meal if you have the time."

The woman looked up. She had a very soft and delicate face like a grandmother and her smile was contagious. She saw Kagami and replied in a loving tone, "Oh another guest to our lovely homestead, how wonderful, dearie. I would be more than happy to whip up something special for such a lovely young lady."

Kagami's cheeks tinted a bit. Normally she would be humbler and politely turn down the offer of a banquet in her name, but her baby was still on her mind. The woman smiled at Kagami again with a twinkle in her eyes, as if she saw something in the young shrine maiden that no one else did or could. She then turned and went into her house to start cooking.

"Come, I think we should have a talk." Junichi said and started walking down the street again. Kagami once again followed.

As they walked, Kagami remained silent and took in everything she was seeing. The people were of all ages and both genders and it seemed to be just another normal neighborhood. Kagami looked up the road and suddenly saw something that stood out. A long stretch of road reached for the horizon but Kagami could see more armed gangsters at the edge of the neighborhood, as if they were guarding it from something. The people didn't seem to care that there were young men with military style weapons patrolling their streets. They just continued on their merry way as if they didn't even exist. It was such a surreal sight, something Kagami didn't think was possible. People being around armed men who weren't any form of legitimate law enforcement and they weren't panicking.

Another thing that presented itself to Kagami was exactly how many people went out of their way to greet Junichi. Some stopped what they were doing and called his name while waving while others took the time to approach and shake his hand and thank him. Their reasons varied from either helping paint their house, fix the insulation, help raise money to send some of the older kids to school, or for birthday presents he bought for them. It was soon apparent to Kagami that the conversations she heard in the van were true. She was in fact in the presence of a real humanitarian. A humanitarian that killed other humans.

They finally reached the last house before the long strip of road led to the horizon where a few guards waited at the neighborhood entrance. It was a simple single story house with humble décor.

"This is my place." He said.

Kagami looked at it. "Homey."

He nodded. "I like it that way. Please come in. It's hot out so can I offer you some lemonade?"

Kagami nodded. "I…I would like that."

He led her inside the small house and Kagami's earlier statement regarding the house was accurate. It was surprisingly homey. It had a simple living room with a TV, a small kitchen and dining room, and a single bedroom and bathroom down the hallway. However, what grabbed Kagami's attention was the massive bookshelf that towered over the TV, something she didn't expect to see, especially in a young man's house. She didn't even see a video game console plugged into the small TV.

She approached the bookshelf and stared at all the titles. Junichi's collection ranged from almost every topic imaginable but he had a strong concentration in history. Not just Japanese history, but history the world over. Other topics included political thinking and sociology, as well as theocratic schools of thought. She selected a book entitled _Critique of Pure Reason_ by Immanuel Kant. Never reading it herself, she had heard of it and thumbed through a few pages.

Junichi returned from the kitchen with two glasses of lemonade. Kagami heard him and closed the book and put it back in the shelf. "I'm sorry. I just didn't expect to see, well…"

"Books in a thug's house?" Junichi asked with a smile.

Kagami cleared her throat. "I wouldn't have phrased it like that but, yeah actually."

He nodded and handed her a glass. "It's okay I know it looks strange."

Kagami thanked him for the lemonade and took a sip, finding it sweet and refreshing. "So…you said you knew my father?"

Junichi nodded. "I do. To give a quick backstory, I used to be in the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces for four years and it…well, changed a few things about me. When I was discharged from service, I felt lost and unfulfilled with what I was doing with myself. I was born in the Aku District…and believe it or not, it wasn't always like it is today. I returned from military service to what Yuka and Ryuji had turned it into, so I sought out spiritual guidance. I met your father three years ago when he led a groundbreaking ceremony for a youth center in the Aku District in the hopes that it would steer teenagers away from drugs and violence."

Kagami took another sip, getting into the story. She never remembered her father ever speaking of Junichi, but then again the Hiiragi family was well-known in Saitama for their shrine and they met a lot of people every year for their annual festivals and holidays. It went without saying that they didn't talk about _every_ person they met while working at the shrine.

"I started visiting the shrine regularly and met with him a few times. I asked him about the notion of 'loving thine enemy' and 'turning the other cheek,' as I understood he was a man who encouraged the pursuit of diversity in religion. I asked him about these things as Yuka and Ryuji started taking over and one night, burned down that youth center." Junichi added. "Have you ever been in a situation where you needed to help someone or something, but you couldn't? Whether that was by circumstances or by other means; you just couldn't help, as if there was a glass wall between you and the people you wanted to help or make right."

Kagami shifted her eyes away, knowing that feeling all too well.

"Anyway, he encouraged me to seek answers in education. That's why I have all those books." Junichi finished.

"And what exactly are you looking for in those books?" Kagami asked, finishing her drink.

Junichi sighed and glanced away. "I'll make a deal with you. When I find the answer, you'll be the first one to know."

Kagami smirked. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"For not hurting me…and showing me kindness. I…I don't have a lot of options myself…and I feel like an outcast myself. I don't even have a home anymore. Just a crappy motel room." Kagami sighed.

Junichi stared at her. "I understand you're not on good terms with your family right now."

Kagami huffed. "That's putting it mildly."

He nodded. "Well, Mama-Sanae has a spare bedroom in her house. You can stay with us for the time being until you get back on your feet and back with your family."

Kagami shot her head back up at him. "I…I couldn't ask you to do that for me."

Junichi chuckled. "Then it's a good thing you didn't because it's already done."

She was speechless. After spending so much time in the streets, in and out of Teasers and Yuka's apartment, and having her body ravaged and trashed by the lowest forms of life imaginable, life simply wasn't this good to be true. As Kagami stared up at him, she thought she saw Junichi staring at her in more ways than just seeing her. He was seeing her in her entirety. The work of art that was still hidden underneath all the graffiti.

"I…I'm pregnant, too." Kagami uttered, not really knowing why she said it now. It was blurted out so bluntly, as if Kagami was warning him what he had in store if he let her stay.

Junichi's eyebrows raised. "Oh, I see. Well we can help you with that too. Mama-Sanae used to be a nurse before she came here so she'll help you through the pregnancy."

Before Kagami could react once again to this stunning display of generosity, a rapping came on Junichi's door. They turned and saw a little girl no older than seven standing in the doorway with a giant smile on her face. Junichi walked over to the door and opened it. She practically leapt into his arms and he held her.

"Junichi-kun, Junichi-kun! Mama-Sanae says that our guest's dinner is ready!" She squealed.

"Very good, Mina-chan. Thank you for telling me." Junichi said and walked over to Kagami. "Mina-chan, this is our new friend, Kagami Hiiragi."

Kagami stared dumbfounded at the child, her mouth agape and her eyes wide, nearing tears. This little girl, all full of youth and innocent energy, was a spitting image of Matsuri Hiiragi. The eyes, the face, even the hair color and style. It made Kagami want to cry and ask to hold the child.

"Hi, Hiiragi-chan!" Mina squealed again. "Say, are you Junichi-kun's girlfriend?! Huh?! Huh?!"

Both Junichi and Kagami flushed red as Mina continued to laugh. Kagami giggled uncomfortably while Junichi cleared his throat and sat Mina down. "No, Mina-chan, she isn't. She's just another guest so treat her like your big sister, okay?"

"Okay!" Mina bubbled and took Kagami's hand. "Come on, onee-chan! Let's go, let's go!"

Mina was surprisingly strong and pulled Kagami out the door as Junichi followed. When they arrived, Kagami wasn't able to control her tears. A feast as big as a Thanksgiving dinner was presented to Kagami, along with more hospitality when Mama-Sanae would not take no for an answer over Kagami staying with her.

As Kagami reluctantly but slowly ate the meal, Junichi sat down with her. She was able to brush away her tears and ask Junichi more about the place she was staying in. It was a long story.


	5. Chapter 5

CHAPTER 38

Kagami Hiiragi stared at herself in the full mirror in her bedroom graciously provided to her by Mama-Sanae. She held her shirt up, exposing her flat stomach. Seven weeks pregnant, and her stomach was still flat. It would be a few more weeks until she would start to show and she knew that, but still, she couldn't help but sigh with disappointment. As she looked at herself in the mirror, she also couldn't help but lament the tiny pockets of fat congregating on her hips. She remembered being nothing but skin and bones when she was a prostitute and now she looked exactly as she did when she graduated high school with her sister and friends. Kagami didn't make a fuss over it though, knowing that if it weren't for Junichi, she would still be homeless or worse.

A gentle knock came on the closed door and Mama-Sanae's voice followed: "Kagami, sweetie?"

Kagami put her shirt back down and looked at the door. "Yes?"

"Breakfast is ready." She replied.

"Tha-thank you." Kagami said and heard the woman leave.

She turned back to the mirror and couldn't help but reminisce her situation. Today marked exactly three weeks since she first arrived at Junichi's neighborhood and her stay there was marked with quite a few interesting reactions. For the most part, everyone welcomed Kagami into their neighborhood, assuming she had a similar backstory to theirs, though it was one that she only truly revealed to Junichi and Mama-Sanae. Kagami never intended to stay in the neighborhood and planned to leave after a day, but every time she approached Junichi to say that she was leaving, she lost the nerve. Not even she knew why she didn't want to leave. Maybe it was the fear of trying to rekindle with her family. Maybe it had something to do with Yuka Miyakawa still being at large. Maybe it was the fact that even Kagami herself could honestly admit that she was so embarrassed and sickened by her acts that she just didn't have the strength to face them alone.

Junichi's face popped into her head and she tilted her head a bit as she sat back down on her undeniably comfortable bed. He was quite an interesting piece in the case of Yuka Miyakawa's game, as was his methods of combating her. Kagami thought back to her first day in the neighborhood and her big meal Mama-Sanae cooked for her. Junichi sat with her and she was intrigued to hear his story as she ate. She was surprised to learn that before the Aku District was the crime haven that it was today, it was once a vibrant place. However, like everywhere else, some kids just had it rough. Junichi was one of those kids. With both his parents in and out of his life throughout his childhood, he had to raise himself and became streetwise at an early age. From an early age, he started to notice certain parts of the Aku District were off limits, especially after dark.

When Junichi turned eighteen, he enlisted in the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Forces to get out from under and was stationed in Hokkaido for his four years of service. He was a good soldier and distinguished marksman, but the service left him feeling void and regretful within himself. Before he enlisted, he knew the Aku District was starting to crumble economically. Jobs were disappearing, people were moving to more prosperous areas, and the off limits areas started to widen like liquid being soaked into a paper towel. During Junichi's time in service, he made one special training mission to the United States to a place called the Joint Readiness Training Center in Louisiana. There, he was introduced to tactics and drills by the American military, as well as the concept of a movement that existed within the US military. _Brotherhood_. These soldiers, these men (kids) dedicated their lives to not only their country, but more so to themselves and their own. It was hard for Kagami to understand, but the soldiers Junichi met taught him that sometimes, not even the Americans trusted or fought for their government. They pledged to fight and die for their people and their fellow soldiers, but taught Junichi that the government that employs them is not to be trusted, like all governments.

When Junichi left the service and returned home to the Aku District and found it to be a modern Sodom and Gomorrah, he never felt so enraged. It seemed his whole country's government turned their backs on that part of Japan to let it wither and die like some flower trapped in a vase. It was all he could take when he saw it was Yuka Miyakawa sitting alone at the top of her throne built at the city's expense. Junichi rallied some men that he served with in the military, as well as a few disgruntled former law enforcement officers who were tired of watching all their hard work get pissed on by a lackluster government more concerned with campaigning than practical solutions. They got together and formed their own security force to hunt down and bring Yuka to justice but along their journey, they had to help others trapped in the district. Homeless shelters were so underfunded that people were still starving in the buildings, so Junichi and his men found an abandoned area outside Saitama in the countryside where they built the neighborhood and brought those forsaken people there to live.

Junichi initially wanted a peaceful resolution to Yuka Miyakawa. Because of Junichi's military connections and friends he made in America, getting weapons for him and his men that surpassed those possessed by Yuka and Ryuji wasn't difficult. He hoped that their existence alone would serve as a deterrent to Yuka's psychotic tendencies. However, the more Junichi tried to prevent a war from breaking out, the more he realized that he was dealing with an adversary that was _all_ psychotic. Yuka had nothing to lose and she was always ready and willing to kill and die, and that was what made her a deadly enemy. It caused Junichi to turn the neighborhood into a secured location and he knew the Aku District would never be able to recover as long as Yuka was there.

Kagami sighed again, still struggling to take everything in. She stood and exited her bedroom and entered the kitchen, where Mama-Sanae was waiting. Kagami sat down.

"You didn't have to wait for me, Mama-Sanae." Kagami said with a smile.

Mama-Sanae's smile was brighter and absolutely sincere. "Oh but you're my guest, child, and what kind of host would I be if I didn't wait for my company?"

Kagami giggled again as she began to eat her eggs. "Thanks again. I've really enjoyed staying here."

"Oh of course, sugar. I love having you stay with me. It's like having my own daughter staying with me again." Mama-Sanae said cheerily. "So what were you going to do today?"

Kagami swallowed some more eggs and dabbed her lips with a napkin. "Well, I promised Mina-chan that we would make bracelets and paper sailor hats today together. And I also promised her I would read her a story later under her favorite tree."

Mama-Sanae chuckled. "Oh that child absolutely adores you, dearie. Ahh, god bless that child. You know, one of the things she always wanted was a big sister. Junichi found that child wandering around one of the homeless shelters in the Aku District only a few months ago. She had no food and the only clothes she had were the rags she had on and she lost her parents a few months before that."

Kagami shook her head. "That's so horrible. But every time I play with her, you would think that she had a happier childhood than I did."

Mama-Sanae nodded. "Well, that's Junichi and his men for you. Every time someone new from the Aku District comes to stay, they dedicate every resource they have to helping them. Especially if they're children. Despite Junichi's appearance, you'll never find a bigger teddy bear than him."

Kagami felt her chest clench for the slightest moment until she breathed when she pictured Junichi playing with the kids of the neighborhood when he wasn't working on people's houses or doing other chores for them. She smiled slightly as she sipped her coffee and continued to think about him, though she herself could barely register the fact that she spent a noticeable amount of her time thinking about him.

"You okay, dearie? You look a little red in the face." Mama-Sanae observed.

It suddenly struck Kagami of who she was thinking of and was turning red over. She nearly spilled her coffee and quickly placed it back on the table. "I uh, I'm, yes. Yes, I'm fine. It…it's just…coffee. It was…kinda hot for me today. Um…Mina-chan is waiting for me. Excuse me."

Kagami quickly exited the house, leaving Mama-Sanae alone but entertained nonetheless. She smiled and laughed to herself. "Ahh, yes. Junichi is also quite the charmer too."

It was another bright sunny day as August was approaching. Though summer was winding down on a calendar, one would think it was just starting as birds sang and children were playing in the streets. Three weeks since Kagami first arrived at the neighborhood made abnormal things about this place, like the men carrying guns all the time, seem like it was the norm. Every day though, she wanted to call her family too, but always once again lost the nerve as she just didn't know what could be said.

Kagami sat on the front step of the house and continued to watch the rest of the people of the neighborhood live normal lives. Some tended their yards, some worked on their houses, the children played in the streets, and others simply sat outside and enjoyed the day. She remembered that "glass wall" concept Junichi was talking about before where it seemed he was separated from the rest of society by that invisible barrier and couldn't be one with the Aku District anymore. Kagami almost felt a parallel when she watched normal people live their lives as she sat on the stoop and tried to shoo the demons of the past from her thoughts.

"Onee-chan?" That bell voice asked.

Kagami looked up and saw Mina-chan standing before her, her smile just as bright as ever. The twin-tailed girl couldn't help but let the contagious power of the child's smile mimic her mouth, especially when Kagami saw the cutely crafted paper sailor hat on her head. She was also carrying her decorated plastic novelty suitcase full of her arts and crafts supplies.

"Hi there, Mina-chan! Are you ready to make some goodies?" Kagami asked in a sweetly voice, a tone she normally reserved for her old pet goldfish back home.

"I sure am, onee-chan!" Mina-chan replied and held up her pink suitcase. "Let's go to my favorite spot!"

Kagami giggled again at the child's blissful innocence and took her hand. She listened to the child's ramblings as they walked down the sidewalk towards a small park where a tree stood on a small hill that overlooked a natural pond. Mina-chan rambled about all the clouds in the sky and how one looked like an elephant yesterday. She also told Kagami about a dream she had about her having a puppy and a kitten and somehow, it progressed to Mina-chan's desire to go for a ride in a hot air balloon.

As the two walked and connected by their hands, Kagami's ears perked when she heard vehicles approach in the distance. Kagami looked down the road and saw more of the blue vehicles driving towards the neighborhood with a single blue Kawasaki Ninja Z1000 leading them. Once again, Junichi finished another raid in the Aku District with his men to find Yuka Miyakawa. The group of vehicles passed them, but not before Junichi looked to his right and met eyes with Kagami.

Their eyes met as time seemed to freeze in that single frame. Everything else suddenly disappeared and it was only them stealing glances from each other, though they both subconsciously were offering their stares on a silver platter. Kagami's dark violet eyes stared deep into his iris's as brown as earth. Junichi slowly smiled at her and Kagami gulped as she suddenly felt flushed again.

Time suddenly found Earth again and the vehicles drove down the street and stopped at Junichi's house. The men who followed him in the vans and SUVs parked the vehicles and followed Junichi into his house. It was bound to be another debriefing of what they came from and from the looks of the gangsters, they once again failed at finding Yuka. Kagami felt disappointment. Both for her own sense of desired justice, and for Junichi.

Kagami and Mina-chan arrived at the tree and started making their bracelets. Mina-chan had everything they needed in her case and her supplies ranged from countless beads of every color, rubber bands, yarn, twine, and novelty pieces with various happy images on them. Mina-chan was able to impress Kagami with her artsy skills and quickly manufactured a bracelet for Kagami. It was a plastic ring around her wrist with a rainbow pattern of beads circling it and between every eight beads, a novelty bead with different pictures on them sat. One bead was a heart, a star, a candy cane, and a sun.

"Wow, Mina-chan. You're really good at this." Kagami said with a smile as she admired her friendship bracelet with the child and nearly finished hers.

"Thank you, onee-chan!" She squealed. "I love making arts and crafts."

Kagami giggled again and finished the last knot on her bracelet. It had a similar fashion and design and Kagami tied it around Mina-chan's thin wrist. "There you go."

"It's beautiful, onee-chan!" Mina-chan said and hugged Kagami.

After they finished their bracelets, they moved on to some more advanced projects. Mina-chan taught Kagami the fine art of macramé with yarn and popsicle sticks, and Kagami remembered enough from her childhood to teach Mina-chan how to make dream catchers with the yarn, beads, and drinking straws and novelty feathers. Kagami reveled in seeing how much Mina-chan hung on her every word as she taught the child the history behind them and what they were supposed to do.

As the two continued to work, Mina-chan suddenly sprouted: "Um…onee-chan?"

"Yes?"

"Do you like Junichi-kun?" She asked innocently as she finished feeding a string of yarn through another straw.

Kagami looked at the child inquisitively. She stuttered and hesitated, not exactly sure how to interpret the question. Did she mean "like" or did she mean "like _like_ " him? "What makes you ask that, Mina-chan?"

Mina-chan put a finger under her chin and looked upwards as she thought. "Well, it's just that he's a really nice guy and he plays with me and my friends all the time and I always see him helping others—"

Kagami breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"—and I also see you looking at him all the time. And every time you look at him, your cheeks turn pink. I only see that when I see two people who are in love with each other. Are you in love with Junichi, onee-chan?"

Kagami's gratitude was short-lived and she cursed the child's sharp observational skills. It was a topic she was trying to avoid for the longest time, mainly because she knew she got red in the face every time she either saw, thought of, or even talked to Junichi. She maintained a political stance on it and called her reactions "summer tingles" instead of calling it for what it was. She blushed every time the very concept of Junichi entered her mind.

Kagami's attempt to answer Mina-chan was pathetic yet comical as she stuttered and hesitated with every syllable. It was as if someone threw her voice box in a blender and poured the mixed remains down her throat. Mina-chan, being the innocent child that she was, didn't understand Kagami's flustered response until she was able to take a deep breath and talk to her.

"I…I don't really know how to answer that, Mina-chan. I do like him as a person and you're right. He is very nice and very helpful, but love…it…it's not that easy to understand, Mina-chan." Kagami tried to hide from the child and herself.

Mina-chan tilted her head. "I don't understand, onee-chan. Love is love, isn't it? I mean, I love my mommy and daddy who adopted me. I love my friends, I love Mama-Sanae, I love Junichi-kun…and I love you too, onee-chan."

Kagami couldn't help but smile and hug the little girl. The twin-tailed girl longed to be her age again, when everything was perfect and the world was a beautiful place to live and places like the Aku District didn't exist, as well as people like Yuka Miyakawa didn't exist. She also longed for the days where human emotions were simply black and white and love only had one definition. Kagami couldn't honestly answer the question for Mina-chan. All she could do was kiss her head, tell her she would understand when she was older, and try and bribe her attention with that storybook Mina-chan had in her arts and crafts case.

Time once again took a break from its job as a fundamental function on Earth and it disappeared. Kagami didn't notice and of course a child as innocent as Mina-chan wouldn't notice either. The former only realized that time was lost when the sun shined its arrogant beams straight down on them, making it noon. Mina-chan had fallen asleep with her head on Kagami's lap roughly half an hour earlier before Kagami could finish reading to her and she couldn't take her eyes off the child.

Kagami held her smile as she watched Mina-chan sleep. She couldn't fight the urge to run her fingers across the short auburn hair of the child and Kagami felt her heart skip at the uncanny resemblance to Matsuri. Kagami felt like crying over the girl, but not because she was sad. Ever since she came to the neighborhood three weeks ago, everything started to feel like it was normal again. Like she was never on drugs, like she never stripped and took her clothes off for money, or let others have their way with her body. It was like it was all a bad dream and this child was a reincarnated version of Matsuri to help her cope with the guilt. Kagami couldn't deny the fact that she loved this child and it made her all the more excited to become a mother herself. If she had a girl, she knew exactly what she would name it.

Footsteps approached Kagami from behind and she gently turned her head, careful not to disturb Mina-chan with her movements. She saw Junichi approaching them quietly with a smile on his face, seeing the picturesque vision between the two girls. She smiled back at him and looked back down at Mina-chan. He took a seat next to Kagami under the tree and the two sat under its sheltering leaves on the warm summer day overlooking the pond.

"She's quite the character, isn't she?" Junichi whispered, making Kagami giggle. "Sorry if she's too clingy."

Kagami shook her head. "I don't mind. She…she reminds me a lot of…my sister who passed away."

Junichi's face crafted to a more somber expression. He slowly looked back down at Mina-chan and placed his hand on her snoring head and gently patted her, making the girl curl tighter into Kagami's lap. He himself regarded Mina-chan with a rather sentimental view as did Kagami and couldn't help but smile again.

The two sat in silence for a while and watched the pond. A few ducks and geese swam in the water and a few song birds sang in the tree above them. It was a very peaceful day.

"Kagami?" Junichi asked.

She glanced at him. "Yes…Junichi?"

He stared outwards towards the pond and his eyes shifted a few times. When Kagami saw his throat bounce in a nervous gulp, her eyes widened a bit and she felt her cheeks heat up again.

Junichi cleared his throat and asked, "Are…are you happy here?"

A small grin tugged on her lips. "I am. You've…you've been very nice and hospitable to me and I'm forever in your debt for that."

He nodded. "Think nothing of it."

Silence fell between them again. Kagami glanced at him, wondering if that was all he wanted to say.

"I was—"

"Am I—"

The two stopped as their two sentences collided when they spoke. For a few seconds, they stared. They sat under the tree on the top of the grassy hill dotted with colorful flowers where the swimming ducks and geese drifted in the blue pond at the bottom and simply stared into each other's eyes. Time took another break then as the two didn't say anything for a while. They knew they were in the midst of a peaceful moment and they enjoyed sharing it with each other. Kagami felt her heart begin to pound when she realized Junichi was slowly lowering his face towards hers.

She didn't pull away though. Almost acting instinctively but not by choice, Kagami found herself leaning her face towards his as well. She didn't fight it though, especially as she began to feel something new. The feeling of a warm, joyous bubble was slowly inflating itself inside her and as it grew, Kagami felt an overwhelming sense of rejuvenation. Only three weeks had passed, but she was sure of the thought growing inside her head that would soon become notarized with a simple gesture as her eyes began to close and her lips slowly pulled together.

As Junichi's eyes closed, he quickly snapped them open and quickly pulled back and cleared his throat loudly. Kagami halted her approach as well and quickly pulled back, suddenly feeling just as embarrassed as he did. She ran a few fingers through her hair over her ear and looked away.

"I…I was going to say that…I was hoping to talk to you later. At my house. I wanted to show you some things that I think will interest you." Junichi said, his voice still tense.

Kagami looked back at him. "What are they?"

He chuckled slightly and stood. "Can't describe them, but I think they belong to you."

The twin-tailed Hiiragi watched him descend the hill and walk back to the neighborhood. She still felt her heart racing and even a few beads of sweat formed on her forehead. It took a few deep breaths to calm herself but when she returned to Earth, the reality of the situation she was in forced her to admit what she was running from.

"I…I like him _a lot_. You're right, Mina-chan." Kagami whispered to her.

Kagami let Mina-chan sleep on her lap for another half hour until the child woke from her nap. She was still groggy from the brief slumber and Kagami carried her home, where her foster parents took her. Kagami then returned to Junichi's house.

She stood before his door and felt her chest tighten again as she clenched her fist and knocked on his door. A few seconds later, Junichi opened the door and he stood in front of her with another smile. He invited her in and Kagami closed the door.

"So…what did you want to show me?" She asked.

"Over here." He walked to the table in his living room, where a sheet was covering several items concealed by the cover. "Do these look familiar?"

He lifted the sheet and when Kagami saw them, her eyes instantly flooded. The tears quickly fell down her cheeks and her emotions struck her like a shovel. Before her rested a few of her mother's family heirlooms that she stole to sell for drug money when her downfall began. It took a second for her to fully comprehend that they were there and not another hallucination, but when she bent down and picked up the gold Buddha statue, she knew it was real. The gold Buddha statue, ceramic plate that belonged to Emperor Hirohito, and two of the silver candleholders were there but that was more than enough for Kagami.

"Ja-Junichi…where did you…?"

"I led a few men on a raid earlier in the Aku District looking for Yuka. We kicked in a few doors of local crack dens and found we recovered a few of those things you mentioned to me when you first came here." Junichi replied. "I know you told me there were other things like more plates and a jewel-encrusted peacock but we're still looking. Tomorrow I was planning on—"

Junichi was cutoff when Kagami leaped into his chest and hugged him tightly. His shirt collar was immediately dabbed with her tears as she pulled herself tighter around him. Her thanks were barely audible as she kept squealing "thank you" over and over again. Those articles belonged to her mother and she stole them and sold them for money to continue to degrade herself. Now that Kagami was thinking with a clear mind, it seemed like this was a sign. The inspiration and strength she needed to return to her family, hat (and artifacts) in hand and plea for forgiveness.

Kagami eventually let go of him and she turned back to the artifacts. "I…I need to get these home right away. I…I need to go home right now."

Junichi's eyes raised and Kagami met his gaze again. Her initial euphoria was put on hold when she saw for the quickest moment that Junichi had worry in his eyes. She tilted her head as she cradled the plate.

"Are…are you okay?" She asked.

Junichi glanced away and nodded. "Yes. Yes, I'm fine."

"Oh…kay…" Kagami whispered.

Silence again.

"I uh…I guess I should…arrange a ride for you." Junichi said slowly, as if he was procrastinating something.

Silence again.

"Ye-yeah. That…that would be…nice." Kagami said slowly, as if she was procrastinating something.

Silence again until Kagami slowly turned and walked towards the door. Junichi reluctantly followed her until he stopped just as she put her hand on the doorknob.

"Kagami…"

Kagami froze and quickly turned. "Ye-yes?"

Junichi had to force himself to look at Kagami in the eyes, something that was hard but very satisfying at the same time. He took a deep breath and said: "If…if you don't mind staying just another day, would you…would you want to have…dinner with me?"

Kagami's eyelids bounced and when she realized she was blushing a fiery red, an old remnant of her old self flared as she became irritated and reared her tsundere side. "Wha-what's the big idea getting me flustered like that?! Don't you know it's rude to just surprise a girl like that?!"

Junichi found her outburst amusing and now that he was down the rabbit hole, the pressure didn't seem as heavy anymore. He nodded and replied, "You're right. I apologize, but the offer still stands. Would you go on a date with me?"

Kagami couldn't help but smile and she stood before him. She curled a lock of her long hair in her finger and replied, "Well…I guess that would be fun. As long as you know how to treat a woman that is."

He smiled again at her. "It's a date."

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Yutaka Kobayakawa was never one for coffee. She never liked the flavor, even with all the cream and sugar she would normally have to add to make it even close to bearable, rendering it to more of novelty beverage at that point. Her sensitive constitution also objected to the harsh levels of caffeine that came with coffee, but Yutaka needed the extra strength as she sat at the breakfast table of the Izumi household.

The clock on the oven stuck five in the morning the day after Kagami was asked out on her first date with Junichi Watanabe, also the same day a harsh truth would come home for Yutaka's cousin. In fact, that was why she sat up so early in the morning. A pressing matter had been plaguing her for the past three weeks that she wanted to address. After a phone conversation with Hiyori Tamura the previous night after Yutaka discovered her cousin was missing for the night yet again, the otaku counterpart of Konata Izumi finally spilled the beans regarding the blue-haired girl's recent behavior.

When Yutaka got off the phone, she was ready to run to Sojiro and tell him everything, as well as Yui. However, a nagging thought in the back of her mind persuaded her to handle this at a cousin-to-cousin level. It didn't take a rocket scientist to see why Konata was taking such drastic measures. Dressing up as a prostitute to blend in with the Aku District all in an effort to bring Kagami home. A normal friend usually wouldn't go to such lengths. However, Yutaka knew her cousin well enough to know that Konata wasn't a normal girl to start with. She wasn't normal in _more_ ways than just redefining the existence of the otaku.

As Yutaka stared at her steaming mug, still grimacing from the nasty taste, she recalled all the times she remembered her cousin acting abnormal in the way that she was thinking. All video games, manga, and anime aside, there were certain aspects to Konata's behavior that even Yutaka realized at an early age. The blue-haired girl was never into girly things. She never once asked for a doll for her birthday or Christmas or spent lots of money on cosmetics to get a guy's attention. She always had a risqué sense of humor, but as far as an actual visible desire to find a boyfriend, that realm had a lot to be desired. Yutaka knew what her cousin was. The question was did Konata?

The front door slowly opened and Yutaka looked up. Someone entered the Izumi house and was taking extra measures to keep quiet about it. Yutaka heard the door close and the ever slightest thuds of tiptoes echoed in the barren hallway and approached the kitchen. When the short silhouette entered, Yutaka reached over and turned the light switch on.

Konata jumped and nearly shrieked when the light shined down on her and she jolted her head around until she saw her cousin staring her down incredulously. The blue-haired girl was panicked at first by the sudden shock but when she saw it was her cousin, she smiled and put a hand on her chest and breathed.

"Jeez, Yu-chan. You scared the crap out of me." Konata chuckled.

"Good. No you know how I felt." Yutaka snapped.

Konata was taken aback by her cousin's harsh tone. "Yu-chan, what's wrong?"

"Well where should I begin?" Yutaka scorned again and took notice of Konata's wardrobe. "Let's start with whatever _that_ is you're wearing."

Konata looked down and she suddenly remembered where she was last night as she was still donning the prostitute outfit made by Hiyori. The blue-haired girl was suddenly embarrassed by her seductive outfit in front of her cousin and she quickly tried to hide herself with her hands, though the amount of exposed skin couldn't be covered, especially with her puny hands.

"Um, Yu-chan, look, I uh…" Konata struggled to find an excuse.

"Out in the Aku District… _again_?" Yutaka asked.

Konata froze and looked up at her cousin, who still wore her disappointed scowl. Dark silence drifted in the house along with a noticeable gelid breeze. Yutaka could see her cousin was speechless and at a complete loss at what to do or say next.

"Konata…Kagami isn't your problem nor is she your burden to bear." Yutaka said coldly, driving an icy spike into Konata's chest.

Konata had never heard her cute and innocent little cousin speak to her in such a manner. She could literally feel the strike of Yutaka's whipping words as they slapped through the air and smacked Konata across the face as if she was being punished. As her only defense mechanism, Konata could only comprehend this dramatic shift in Yutaka's persona through an anime concept.

"Wh-what are you talking about, Yu-chan? Why are you so OOC now?" Konata asked.

Yutaka narrowed her eyes at her cousin. "Because…you're my cousin. My family. And of course I would become angry if I ever found out that a family member was doing what you're doing to find a friend who treats you like garbage."

Konata once again winced under Yutaka's harsh reality. "Yu-chan…I…I…"

"I know, Konata. I know." Yutaka said and stood. She walked to Konata and took her hands. "I've known about you and how you _really_ feel about Kagami for a while now. You think of her as _more_ than just a friend and that's why you're doing this. Right?"

Konata still stood stunned, her hands resting in Yutaka's delicate fingers. She suddenly felt the weight of her own identity become a boulder resting upon her shoulders that was starting to push her down. Konata never paid much attention to this part of her identity, mainly because Kagami was always by her side. But when Kagami went rogue and was banished from the Hiiragi household, Konata completely collapsed. Konata didn't want to have to face the fact that she not only lost her best friend, but also her first crush as well.

That harsh truth Yutaka was contemplating before Konata walked through the door had finally come home when Konata curled her fingers and held Yutaka's hands as her knees buckled. Konata's eyes filled with water and she slumped to the floor. Yutaka was there to catch her and hug her tightly as Konata finally let it all out. She hugged her cousin and cried on her shoulder. Her journeys in the Aku District to find Kagami had finally come to an end.

"I'm so sorry, Yu-chan. I'm sorry." Konata whispered. "But…but you're right. I…I'm a…I'm gay. And I love Kagami…"

Yutaka pulled Konata closer and gently stroked her head. She shushed her cousin tenderly and whispered that everything was going to be okay. No matter who Konata was, she would always be Yutaka's big cousin.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 39

Yutaka Kobayakawa was happy, though the same couldn't be said for her blue-haired cousin. The younger girl held her cousin's hand as they walked together down Otome Road, one of Konata's favorite places and usually always brightened any gloomy day she had, as rare as they were. Today however was one of the gloomiest. Konata Izumi came to terms with her homosexuality, the same day she had to come to terms with the reality that the love of her life was gone. Her little cousin however saw this as a breakthrough for her other sister figure. Yutaka always had a feeling about her cousin's orientation, but never confronted her on it. Despite all of Konata's charisma, Yutaka still knew Konata was afraid to be honest with herself.

To help her cousin come out of her shell while also letting her stay in her comfort zone, Yutaka thought it a good idea to bring Konata to Otome Road. Let Konata ease into her new reality. As Yutaka guided Konata down the flamboyant street, she couldn't help but find her optimism struggling against her cousin's raincloud. Yutaka glanced at her free hand where she carried a few bags of new manga books and where her wristwatch hugged around it. Her scheduled rendezvous was supposed to happen in ten minutes and she hoped that Patty was going to be able to keep her side of the plan.

"It sure is a nice day, isn't it onee-chan?" Yutaka asked.

Konata slowly lifted her face skyward to the vast blue mural free of any obstructing white streaks. It was just the blue sky and bright sun on this August day. Yutaka's eyes were glittering in the sunlight, but Konata's pasty and exhausted expression was like the single black cloud in an otherwise beautiful sky. She sighed and grunted a bit, acknowledging Yutaka's favorable opinion of the day, but did little more than just that. Her grip on her little cousin's hand was also cold and clammy and Yutaka had to admit that she needed a break from it.

She found a cosplay café similar to the one Konata worked at, though this one was outdoors and would allow them to continue to bask in the beautiful day. They sat together at a table for four people, though Konata didn't notice. She also didn't notice how Yutaka placed the bags of manga at her feet instead of on one of the empty chairs, as if they were expecting company. Yutaka ordered Konata an iced coffee while she herself ordered an orange juice smoothie.

They sat in silence for a while until Yutaka decided it was time to get Konata to open up about her feelings. Since their early morning rendezvous two days earlier, Yutaka allowed her cousin to take in everything that she had confessed and gave her the necessary space. However, it was time for Konata to open up for if Yutaka let her continue to clam up, Konata would never be able to advance forward with this new perception about herself. If Konata couldn't accept herself for who she was, especially without Kagami Hiiragi in her life, it would only lead to more confusion and complications later in her life. It could even lead to a dark path that Yutaka shuddered to think about; a path that ended with her giving a tearful eulogy at her blue-haired cousin's funeral.

"Konata, I gave you a lot of space these past few days to really think about who you are and where you want to go with what you told me. I also kept your secret about where you've been sneaking off to at night from your dad, so I think you at least owe me a conversation." Yutaka said sternly and Konata couldn't help but turn her attention to her cousin, still caught off guard by Yutaka's growing sense of assertion. "I know what you're going through is hard, but the last thing I want you to think is that you're alone. You confessed to me that you're homosexual, and that is perfectly fine. It doesn't change anything about you. You're my cousin and you'll always be my cousin, but one thing I cannot and will not tolerate from you is this new shut-in, reclusive depression that I am seeing from you. I want you to talk to me."

Konata sat up from her hunched posture and couldn't help but look Yutaka in her eyes. Gloomily, she said, "I have to say…you seem so much more grownup, Yu-chan. I still remember the day you came to live with me and my dad. Seems like it was just this morning we were welcoming you to our house."

Yutaka smiled a bit. "Well thank you for the compliment, but I have to say I have learned a lot myself about growing up and maturity from Kagami's situation. I still can't imagine how hard that is for you."

Konata pulled further back, hoping the shadow of her blue bangs would hide her face. "It is. I loved Kagami from the first day I saw her."

Yutaka leaned closer. "When you first saw her, was that when you truly knew you were a lesbian?"

Konata shook her head. "No, it wasn't. I always knew I was different, even as a kid. When I was growing up, boy bands were the hottest thing for all the girls, but I was never into them. I liked the girl bands, and especially this American thing called Power Rangers. That was what really got me into martial arts and being tough. I actually remember my first crush was on the Pink Ranger, Kimberly. I also remember being into Batman before the anime and manga and games _really_ took over my life, but I would only watch it for Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, or Catwoman. When I got older, I started to understand what all these thoughts meant."

"And you never told your dad?" Yutaka asked.

Konata shook her head. "I always wanted to, but every time I approached him to tell him, I lost my nerve and ended up talking to him about something else."

"You're afraid he won't accept you? He's your father and you're his only child. Something tells me he'll love you no matter what your orientation is."

Konata shook her head again. "It's not that. If anything I _really, really_ want to tell him of all people, but it's me. I'm too afraid to say it out loud."

Yutaka tilted her head. "I'm not sure I understand."

She stopped talking when the waitress, a student Konata's age and dressed as Sakura Haruno from _Naruto_ , arrived with their drinks. She sat them down and left.

"I was just about to say that you're never shy when you work at the cosplay café. And remember our cheerleading dance for the arts festival a few months ago? I was so nervous but you were so smooth during it." Yutaka observed.

Konata sipped her coffee. "But that was different. I was in my element and my comfort zone. Whenever I'm in that zone, it doesn't matter what or who I like. Plus, constantly living in my otaku world helps me forget about the fact that I am a lesbian."

At that, Konata quickly cupped her mouth. She quickly looked around to make sure no one else heard her public confession, but Yutaka smiled at the breakthrough. Confessing it to her in the privacy of their home was one thing, but to basically shout it for the world to hear was another matter entirely. Konata was flushed red and trying to hide under her hair again, but Yutaka wouldn't let her.

She reached out and cupped her cousin's hand. "It's okay, onee-chan. I think you've made really good progress. Please, don't hide who you are from the world, because I love the real you and so do your friends. Please tell me, what are you thinking right now? What does it mean to you to be a lesbian?"

Konata's blush subsided and she uncupped her mouth. She swallowed hard and leaned forward, keeping her voice low but still above a whisper. "It…it's hard to describe, Yu-chan. I mean, picture yourself with the man of your dreams, but in my case, it's a woman. Like, those bubbly, warm rising feelings you get when you fall in love? That's what I felt the first time I saw Kagami."

Yutaka patted her cousin's hand. "I know you miss her, but I have to be frank with you. Kagami doesn't want our help and doesn't want to be our friend anymore. I'm not asking you to just forget about her, but I just want to remind you that you have a lot of friends that care about you and just want to see you smile."

"Hey there…!"

Konata and Yutaka looked up and saw Patty and Hiyori approaching them. Yutaka glanced at her watch and Patty was right on time, making the salmon-haired girl smile. After a few phone calls and text exchanges between the two, it was decided that Konata and Hiyori were both down in the dumps recently, and the only cure was each other. Though Yutaka was reluctant to out her cousin, Patty swore a death oath to her to keep the secret, especially because only a few days after Konata started combing the Aku District for Kagami, Hiyori confided in Patty about her true feelings about Konata. The two had to be a match.

"Hey, what a surprise! It's Patty-chan and Tamura-san!" Yutaka squealed in a grossly exaggerated tone. "Speaking of good friends, look who I'm here with!"

Patty eyed Konata as she dragged Hiyori by her hand and also proclaimed in a poorly acted voice, "Well speak of the devil, it's Konata! Remember, I was just talking about her, Hiyorin! And now look, here she is! What a coincidence!"

Konata's lips twitched slightly upward when she saw the long-haired girl approach her, who seemed to share in her facial misery. When Hiyori saw Konata was there, she was quicker to smile than Konata, though the curved lips soon found their way on Konata's face.

"Hey there, what are you two doing here?" Konata asked slowly and with a fragile voice.

"Well Hiyorin here has been cooped up in her room the whole week working her poor self to death on her latest doujinshi so I decided to drag her out and get a little sunlight." Patty squealed again.

"Well it's great to see you two again." Yutaka added. "We were just out shopping and just ordered some drinks. Care to join us?"

"You bet!" Patty cried, giving a blunt thumb up.

Neither Konata nor Hiyori could put it all together yet. Patty quickly guided Hiyori over to the empty seat across from Konata and sat her down, the seat where Yutaka went out of her way to _not_ put the bags of manga in. Patty and Yutaka sat down again and started their conversation again. Their eagerness intensified when they saw Konata and Hiyori staring at each other.

"So you guys came to _this_ café." Patty said. "You know, I heard this place has some of the best spicy oden on Otome Road."

Yutaka's ears perked up. "Really? That sounds really good."

"Hey, how about I show you all the kinds of flavors they got?!" Patty exclaimed and quickly stood.

Yutaka quickly stood too. "That sounds great! Lead the way!"

It all happened so fast that the two long-haired otakus couldn't react. Yutaka and Patty quickly stood and dashed inside the café's restaurant and they were left alone. At first, there was silence between the two as they stared at each other. Each girl was happy to see the other, but seemed to be at a loss for words. As they sat and stared, it was clear that they both wanted to say something, but the words were caught somewhere between their heads and mouths, like a roadblock of sorts.

After a few physical gestures and throat clearings, Hiyori finally said: "It's…it's nice to see you again, Konata."

Konata giggled slightly. "La-likewise, Hiyorin."

Another quick silence between them.

"I…I heard that…I heard that you decided not to search for Kagami anymore. Guess…guess that outfit I made for you didn't work out." Hiyori murmured, almost inaudibly.

Konata shook her head. "Forget about it. I actually feel bad for asking you to do that for me now. The more I think about it, the more I feel I took advantage of your friendship and I owe you an apology."

Hiyori's eyes deepened and she began to shake her head. "No need, Konata. I wanted to bring her back as much as you did, but I have to admit, every time you went into that section of town, I had the worst knot in my stomach until I heard from you again. Every time I heard you made it out safely again, it was all I could do to keep myself from crying."

Konata instinctively put her hand across the table and took Hiyori's hand. "It's okay. I'm fine now."

Hiyori's smile deepened slightly. She held Konata's hand and giggled a bit. "I'm really glad you're here right now, Konata."

Konata giggled herself. "Likewise."

From inside the café's restaurant, Patty and Yutaka watched the whole exchange from the window, though far enough inside to not be seen.

"Can I play matchmaker or what?!" Yutaka exclaimed.

Patty laughed. "So can I! But still you are the Ying to my Yang, Yutaka-chan!"

The two girls laughed and gave each other a high five and watched the ones closest to them grow closer to each other.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

If the average person on the street would give Tsukasa Hiiragi a passing glance, they would probably look right through her. The youngest Hiiragi child herself always identified herself as plain when compared to her pink-haired friend who had recently been discharged from the same hospital she was staying at. However, if those said average people were to take an extra second and give Tsukasa a thorough look over, they would see someone nothing short of a warrior with more battle scars than hairs on her head. Yet she still stood tall and as a survivor through the horrid and vile atrocities she was forced to weather and in a time where, just recently, she had just celebrated her most momentous achievement.

Though anyone of Tsukasa's friends or family members would tell you she had a long way to go before she was as tough as a samurai, as her appointments with Dr. Kishimoto would illustrate. Regardless, Dr. Kishimoto wasn't trying to turn Tsukasa into a warrior. She was trying to heal her within the safe confines of her office, where Tsukasa wept every visit. So much to unload, from the loss of her sister in a car accident, to the loss of her sister's friend, hell, even to the loss of her other sister period. If that wasn't enough, the forced eyewitness view of her sister's destruction, her incarceration and torture by Yuka Miyakawa, as well as the murder of a nurse on her head by the control of the devil's drugs should've been enough to break Tsukasa. Yet, she still stood. She cried, but she still stood.

Dr. Kishimoto sat back in her chair and let Tsukasa vent again in her office. The latter clutched a new stuffed animal closely to her face. Today, Tsukasa had to face the reality yet again that she had murdered a nurse. Though the police had already informed her family that their district attorney declined to press any charges against Tsukasa given the circumstance, it still didn't make it easier. It still didn't erase the guilt of taking another life, especially one tasked with assisting in her recovery. Knowing this made Tsukasa cling tighter to the plush animal.

"That's right, Tsukasa, let it all out." Dr. Kishimoto cooed as she hugged Tsukasa on the couch. "I can't even begin to imagine the burden that you're carrying right now, but I promise I will never leave your side. We're going to get through this together."

Tsukasa cuddled closer to Dr. Kishimoto. She had been crying for fifteen minutes so far and they were already halfway through their weekly visit. Since it was clear to Dr. Kishimoto that Kagami couldn't be redeemed and was lost, she would damn the day that she would let yet another innocent soul be taken by her evil sister of Yuka Miyakawa. Tsukasa was suffering PTSD from her endeavors, and Dr. Kishimoto knew that such a disorder would only lead to dangerous coping mechanisms if not managed and treated properly. Dr. Kishimoto feared Tsukasa taking to a drug habit, either to quell the pain she was suffering, or even start one in a desperate attempt to make herself "worthy" of her sister. It wouldn't be the first time the psychologist had witnessed such a case.

Tsukasa's strength drained and she soon lost the grit to keep crying. She pulled away from Dr. Kishimoto, her eyes red and puffy, and dabbed at them with tissues offered to her by the doctor. Dr. Kishimoto stood and took her seat in her chair again and readied her notepad. Despite the tears, the doctor couldn't help but notice that Tsukasa had made some rather impressive strides since they began weekly therapy. She wasn't quite there yet, but Dr. Kishimoto believed that Tsukasa was well on her way to forgiving herself for the death of the nurse, as well as accepting that it wasn't her fault and accepting the event in general. However, Dr. Kishimoto wanted to talk about something else today.

She allowed Tsukasa a few more moments to compose herself and when she did, the doctor said, "How would you like to talk about Kagami today, Tsukasa?"

Tsukasa slowly lifted her head, her face still a little damp from crying. Her expression suddenly changed to one Dr. Kishimoto never saw on Tsukasa before and it startled her. The youngest Hiiragi child formed a hybrid expression of a frown and scowl, creating a Frankenstein stare of hatred upon hearing the name of her fraternal twin sister. No one thought it possible for Tsukasa to form such an irate look when she heard the name and Dr. Kishimoto feared that the stare alone was opening a new chapter for the Hiiragi's youngest.

"What's there to talk about?" Tsukasa hissed in a voice that made Dr. Kishimoto she saw a jet of air leave her own mouth as she exhaled. She nearly jumped when Tsukasa wailed, _"LOOK WHAT SHE DID TO ME!"_

Tsukasa reared her arm still constricted by a medical bandage hiding the tattoo. Though it was Yuka Miyakawa who reared the tattoo gun, Tsukasa's comprehension of the situation fueled her rage at her sister. If only Kagami would've accepted all the help she was offered by her friends and family instead of always going back to Yuka and the late Ryuji, then all of this never would've happened. Tsukasa's arm was tattooed because Kagami wouldn't step up to the plate.

Dr. Kishimoto started writing in her notepad. "You're feeling anger because your sister's addictions led to your abduction and torture. Am I right?"

"Gee, you think?!" Tsukasa snapped, still frowning. "I'm branded for life because of her! Because of this, this, this… _monstrosity_ …I'll never get into a good school, get a good job, even get married! What man would want to be the husband to the tattooed circus freak?! I hope I never see her again! _I hate her!_ "

Dr. Kishimoto gulped when she heard Tsukasa proclaim hatred for the one she used to worship. To see such a dramatic alteration in her personality regarding her twin sister deeply deserved Dr. Kishimoto and brought the old wounds and contemporary ramifications of her little sister's existence closer to her.

"Okay, Tsukasa, I understand why you feel the way you do. That being said, I would like to discuss a few healthy ways for you to express and deal with your anger." Dr. Kishimoto said, adjusting her glasses. "I have a small book on my shelf that I would like you to take home and read. It's only about fifty pages but it helped me a lot when I had to weather a situation similar to yours a few years ago."

Dr. Kishimoto stood and walked to her shelf while Tsukasa tilted her head at her. "A situation you were in?"

The doctor tried to hide her wince. "Oh, it's not important. Anyway, I really think you could benefit from this short book."

Dr. Kishimoto returned with a book the size of a novella, no more than fifty pages long as she said. She presented it to Tsukasa, who held the book up and read the title, "Forgiveness: The Greatest Hardship You Never Want to Carry."

The doctor nodded. "It's a series of short stories from people who were horribly wronged and abused by members of their own families. Situations that forgiveness should be impossible in, yet these figures found the strength within them to forgive those who hurt them and how it turned them into better people."

Tsukasa sat the book down, still scowling at the floor. "But what if I don't want to forgive Kagami for what she did? What if I hate her forever?"

Dr. Kishimoto nodded. "That is an option for you, though I don't think that would be a wise one. You haven't forgiven Kagami yet, right?"

Tsukasa nodded, still frowning.

"And how has that made you feel?" She asked, ready to jot her client's response. "Have you felt better about yourself or your situation? Or have you felt that your life is better with hate for your sister in it?"

Tsukasa tightened her stare, not wanting to admit what she already knew. She remained silent and folded her arms.

"Let me guess. You feel fatigued all the time; like it's a constant struggle to stay awake, you feel heavier in your head, and you have a growing sense of pessimism, even resentment towards humanity. Maybe you're even taken aback by the idea of starting new relationships with strangers, whether they're as new friends or a possible romantic connection with someone."

All the while, Dr. Kishimoto could see Tsukasa struggle to hold in her tears. It didn't take much longer until her tears once again resumed and Tsukasa had to reach for her tissues. Though Dr. Kishimoto knew Tsukasa had a long way to recovery, she did see this as a step in the right direction. Tsukasa was still emotionally connected to herself and reality and was obviously guilty of feeling everything the psychologist described. As an even more optimistic sign, it was clear she didn't like these new feelings that came with holding on to hatred for such a long period of time, especially in matters one couldn't resolve on their own.

Dr. Kishimoto continued their appointment and Tsukasa started to let go of her growing dark side. Dr. Kishimoto would think about her little sister later that night as she rested in her husband's embrace, vowing to not let Tsukasa join the darkness of hatred that had completely consumed her younger sister of Yuka Miyakawa.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

When she woke up this morning, Konata Izumi was convinced that the rest of her days would be dark and tragic. Kagami was gone and she was heartbroken, but Yutaka wouldn't let her cousin play that card. She would damn the day the notoriously boisterous and individual Konata Izumi would shut herself in and throw herself her own pity party of defeat. Yutaka knew her cousin's true identity, and that was a positive aspect that the salmon-haired girl was dedicated to bringing out to show the world. It was a part of Konata that was her truest, yet at the same time her most innocent and vulnerable.

When Yutaka learned that Konata and Hiyori walked back to the latter's house, their hands connected, she couldn't help but hold her head a little taller that day. Konata Izumi and Hiyori Tamura. It was a couple that, in all reality, had some credibility to the concept. Now it was up to them to make it work. Hiyori had feelings for Konata that she couldn't deny, and Konata was sure she felt something similar and wanted to pursue. Hiyori was already ahead of Yutaka when the blue-hair's little cousin warned her that Konata was still emotionally fragile. Still, Hiyori wanted to go for it.

The two girls arrived at Hiyori's house a little past dark, just as a summer storm was approaching. While they were walking, they stopped a few times along the way to watch the dazzling lightning brighten the sky from afar.

They stood before Hiyori's front door just as another murmur of thunder roared in the distance. Staring into each other's eyes, they struggled to release each other's hands.

"I uh, I had a really good time today, Hiyorin." Konata said softly, a tone Hiyori wasn't familiar with but loved it right away. "Thanks for hanging out with me today."

Hiyori smiled at her and nodded. She scratched the back of her head with her free hand and giggled nervously, hoping it would somehow hide her blush. Stuttering in the beginning, she replied dryly, "Tha-thi-think na-nothing of it, Konata."

Konata gently took Hiyori's other hand and the two girls held each other's hands under the glowing streetlamp. There were a few gestures in their faces, as if they both wanted to do something but were too afraid to make the first move. Hiyori could read Konata's mind and she wanted to kiss her as well, though didn't want to overstep her boundaries, not to mention that she was scared as well.

Hiyori took a deep breath and took the plunge. Closing her eyes, she leaned down slightly and connected her lips to Konata's. Konata was surprised at first and her green eyes widened from the gesture, but it didn't take her long to realize what this was and even faster to comprehend that this was what she wanted. Shielding her own eyes, she pushed back and hugged Hiyori tightly. They held that pose under the orange light in the quiet summer night, the crickets providing them a soft serenade.

They disconnected after a few seconds and still smiled at each other. Cupping each other's faces, Konata couldn't help but make light of their newfound relationship by whispering, "Call me."

Hiyori giggled again and promised. The two girls gave each other another peck and Konata turned and walked away. Hiyori watched her girlfriend round the corner and their first date was complete. Sighing with content euphoria, Hiyori turned and entered her house, just as the lightning cast across the sky.

Across the street in-between two houses in the dark alley, another lightning bolt broke across the sky just long enough to cast light onto a set of glowing rancorous eyes staring at the Tamura household. As fast as they shined onto the house, they disappeared into the darkness again. The owner of the eyes didn't wait for another lightning bolt to usher her in so she took it upon herself to step onto the stage.

The figure walked out of the alley and under the orange streetlamp guarding the sovereignty of the Tamura household, Yuka Miyakawa slowly tilted her head upward at it. She hadn't changed since she had escaped the strip club shootout, and neither had her lust for blood and carnage. Her toothy grin widened as she read the nameplate on the house and she slowly unsheathed her dagger, ready to put her plan into motion to once again drag Kagami Hiiragi and her entire family back into her psychotic embrace.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 40

Kagami Hiiragi's eyes could hardly fathom what she was looking at. Certainly after what she had turned her life into since Matsuri's and Misao's deaths, what she was seeing was a hallucination. The tug by Mama Sanae on her long hair however sent the mild amount of discomfort she needed to conclude she wasn't dreaming. Still, Kagami was still awe-struck at the beauty that was herself as she stared at herself in the full mirror. Mama Sanae was finishing braiding Kagami's long hair into a single braid that stretched to her lower back, but it wasn't her new hairstyle that held Kagami's attention.

The middle Hiiragi daughter was wearing makeup for the first time and her eyes sparkled at her reflection. Her cheeks were brought to life with blush and the mascara she applied to her eyelashes earlier made them look like the wings of a black swan. The red lipstick brought out the color in both her lips and her eyes and Kagami's jaw hung slightly unhinged in surprise. After all she had done to herself. After all the drugs, sex, violence, and endless debauchery, she didn't think there was any beauty left in her.

As Mama Sanae finished the final braid, Kagami lowered her eyes to examine her wardrobe, truly hoping she wasn't dreaming. She was never one for dresses, but then again she had to admit in retrospect she had never truly given herself a chance to see herself in one. This one however matched her perfectly. The soft blue fabric constructing the dress brought out both her makeup and her sparkling eyes, making her into a living portrait of the hidden beauty she once was before she destroyed it. The light blue dress hugged her slim figure and she blushed a bit when she could see it showed off her hips, as well as did her chest more justice (something she was secretly grateful for).

"Okay, honey, that should do it." Mama Sanae said. "Let's see everything."

Kagami slowly stood, her eyes still fixed on the glass window to her hidden side. Her long hair, now bound in a single woven braid, dangled to her lower back and she slowly spun, letting the hem of the dress twirl with her and it sparkled in the light. The oldest Hiiragi twin's cheeks flushed a bit and Mama Sanae grinned at her.

"I was right. You _are_ the same size my daughter was when she was your age." She said.  
"That dress looks marvelous on you, darling."

Kagami giggled nervously. "I…I never knew that I could look so…so…"

"Beautiful?"

She froze when she heard the word. With a lamenting sigh, she said, "I thought any part of me that could be like that was long gone. This is the first time in a while I've looked in a mirror and didn't see a monster."

Mama Sanae's smile softened to a more conservative deadpan expression as she stood and gently palmed Kagami's shoulders. "Honey, we've _all_ made mistakes. The beauty of not only the world, but also this neighborhood, is that the sun will always rise again and give us all a fresh start."

Kagami gently held Mama Sanae's hand and turned to her. "I want to change and redeem myself, but I'm scared moving forward. I'm scared of my friends and family never accepting my apologies, I'm scared of becoming a mother…and I'm especially scared of Junichi."

Mama Sane tilted her head, slightly confused as to why she was scared of him. She was getting all dressed up for him after all. Tonight was the night of their highly anticipated date. Though they couldn't go out in public, Junichi bent over backwards to make some time for them tonight, as well as taking the liberty to cook the dinner for them so Kagami was in a great sense looking forward to tonight. Being the wise woman she was though, Mama Sanae was able to piece it together.

"You're falling in love with him, aren't you baby?" She asked.

Kagami stiffened and began to tremble a bit. "I…I don't know. I…I like him as a person and am grateful for his hospitality and understanding…and I never felt like he ever judged me for my mistakes. Not to mention the miracle he pulled off for me in getting my family heirlooms back. I…I just don't know what I'm feeling. I will admit that I am feeling something…but I don't know what it is…and I'm too scared to find out what it is."

Mama Sanae smiled and stood. Taking Kagami by slight surprise, she gently pulled her into a hug. "Honey, no matter what you're feeling and no matter where you go from here, all that matters to us is that you're clean and that you can move on with your life. No one will want that more than Junichi. That's one of his best attributes. He only wants the best for everyone."

She let go of Kagami and the twin-tailed Hiiragi smiled. She nodded, feeling reassured about her date tonight. In the beginning, she did have some reluctance when it came to the idea of dating a gangster, especially one who she witness execute Ryuji, though not even a shrine maiden like Kagami could argue that he didn't have it coming. He definitely wasn't the type of guy her family would approve of, but their opinion on this issue didn't matter to her. After all he had done for her, even Kagami took a lesson from the old saying about judging a book by its cover.

Kagami left the house and stepped into the night. The children had stopped playing in the yards and street a while ago with dinner time now upon the neighborhood. A few of Junichi's armed guards continued to patrol the neighborhood on foot and Kagami looked right past them and their military style weapons they carried. It was all second nature to her at this point.

As she approached Junichi's house, she could see the lights inside and she knew it was real. Her heart started to beat faster and she had to quickly wipe the small bits of accumulating sweat on her palms. Despite her nerves, she cleared her throat and walked up to his door. She knocked.

The lump in her throat bounced when she heard Junichi on the other side until he opened the door. He was dressed in a shiny buttoned shirt with a complementing tie around his neck, pressed pants, and shiny shoes. His hair was done neatly and his face was clean shaven. The shirt was a little smaller and it showed off his muscular form, something Kagami didn't mind and she had to admit that he was very handsome.

"Good evening, Kagami." He said softly with a smile.

Her ability to return the smile was easy this time around with her nerves relaxed. "Good evening."

"Please come in," he said and stepped aside.

Kagami proceeded to enter and felt her lips tug again when she saw the setup. Junichi's house was small, but that didn't stop him from utilizing every square inch of free space he had. Within his small living room, he had setup a dining table with a nice cloth draped over it, allowing the exquisite plate and glass setting to sparkle in the overhead light. Kagami's mouth flooded when she could smell freshly baked chicken and curry dishes and, while not getting her hopes up just yet, her keen radar detected the hint of a cake in the oven as well.

"Wow, everything looks great." Kagami said.

"I should hope so. My intent was to make the dinette set look so good it would distract you from my horrid cooking skills." Junichi replied.

Kagami giggled and approached her chair. She was taken by surprise when Junichi stepped in front of her and pulled the chair out from the table and turned it to her, allowing her to sit in it. It was a simple gesture, yet one she had never experienced for herself by a man. As much as a tsundere as she was, she had to admit that it was nice to be treated both with respect and as a real woman ever since she left her old profession in the Aku District. She gratefully sat in it and allowed Junichi to scoot her to the table. He then joined her across the table.

"Thank you for having me tonight." Kagami said.

Junichi smirked and nodded. "Well don't be thankful just yet. You haven't eaten my cooking yet."

Kagami laughed again. "I'm sure it's going to be great."

He smiled back to her. "So how have you been feeling? How's the baby?"

"Very well. He's sleeping right now." Kagami joked while rubbing her still flat stomach. "And I'm sure he'll enjoy your cooking as well."

"Convinced it's a boy? Are you thinking of any names?"

Kagami held her smirk and her palm on her stomach. "Well, if you've ever met my family, chances are you'd be convinced I would be having a girl. Still, I have a feeling about this one. Call it a mother's intuition, but I think it's going to be a boy. I really hope so too."

"Why's that? Every woman I've ever met was obsessed about having a daughter." Junichi replied and took a sip of water.

Kagami's cheery face melted slightly to a more somber expression. She glanced away before replying, "I just…I just want to teach him right. I want to teach him how to respect and appreciate women. I don't want him to grow up to see women as, well, meat. I also wouldn't mind if it's a girl, either. To teach her respect for herself, and show her love and support so that maybe girls like…Yuka…won't exist one day. My own interpretation of paying it forward I guess."

Junichi sat back and nodded. "I understand how you feel and can appreciate that. That's a very noble way to look at raising a child, Kagami, and it's no secret why your family is proud of you."

"You mean _was_ proud of me." She corrected.

Junichi shook his head. "No, I didn't."

"Well, if you saw our last encounter, I don't think you'd believe that. I mean, after what I let Yuka do to Tsukasa…"

"Kagami, Kagami, Kagami," Junichi cooed and Kagami couldn't deny the bumps his voice rendered to her flesh. "I've told you this before. Mistakes were made. We're all only human and we're all imperfect creatures. I can tell you that better than anyone else."

Kagami looked up at him and couldn't help but huff. "I doubt that. I mean, I look around here and everyone looks to you like you're God himself."

Junichi folded his hands and leaned forward. "All by trial and error. Besides, even before I thought of the idea to build this neighborhood, I've made mistakes like you wouldn't believe, especially when I was in the military. In fact, I sometimes think _that_ was my biggest mistake. Looking back on it, I think I joined as a way to escape and run from my own problems and when I finally did return home, not only were my problems still waiting for me, they had evolved tenfold."

Kagami nodded, telling him she understood his point. "So you think one day I will inevitably have to face my family again, as well as Yuka Miyakawa?"

A ding from the kitchen caught their attention. Junichi smiled and stood and walked to the kitchen. A few seconds later, he returned with a pottery casserole dish and he sat it down in the middle of the table. Whipping the lid off, Kagami's mouth flooded when she saw the baked chicken dish.

"I don't know about you, but I can't discuss the deep topics on an empty stomach, plus I don't think subjects like Yuka Miyakawa have a place at such a table, especially in good company." Junichi said as he took Kagami's plate and filled it with the food. "I think the conversations should stay on us."

He placed the food before Kagami, who waited anxiously for Junichi to fill his own plate and return to his seat so they could dig in. As she watched him, she couldn't help but stare at him in disbelief, that such a man of his age regarded both himself and his surroundings with such class. Especially her. Whenever he looked at Kagami, he didn't see what she saw. He didn't see the dirty, repulsing street rat that Kagami identified since she left the Aku District and hindsight became the reprehensible asshole it usually proves to be.

"I…I am curious about you, Junichi." Kagami said when he sat down. "I've been here for about a month now and I don't think I ever, well, figured out why you are the way you are."

Junichi tilted his head. "I'm not sure I'm following."

"Well…to put it simply, you seem to be somewhat of a paradox. For example, I was always taught that the derelicts, vagabonds, and criminals had tattoos, but you're so well-read and so refined. And how you talk to others…it's like you're a professional speaker." Kagami noted.

Junichi chuckled. "You're bold,"

Kagami suddenly realized how comfortable she had become in the neighborhood and it clicked how what she said could easily be misinterpreted. She was quick to apologize.

"Not at all. I like it when people are bold and straightforward like that." Junichi replied calmly with a smile. "My tattoos are souvenirs from my time in the military and each one means something very close and dear to me, whether it had to do with the lessons I learned or the brothers I met, you name it. I understand why your family would bring you up on those values though. But I don't wear my intellect or existence on my skin. It's ultimately who you are and what you do with yourself that inevitably becomes your _real_ tattoo. But of course, what makes that said tattoo the better one is that it never has to be permanent. That's a lesson I learned in the service and needless to say that it was a good one."

Kagami smiled at him and began to eat. The rest of their date went better than even Kagami could've predicted. The more they talked, the closer they felt together and by the date's end, Kagami couldn't deny it anymore. She was falling in love with him, which was also reinforced for her when he walked her back to Mama Sanae's house. As they walked, they couldn't help but converse about the starry summer night.

When they arrived at the front door, Kagami stopped and turned to him, smiling. The two stood in awkward silence for a bit until Junichi cleared his throat.

"Um…well, thank you. For being my guest tonight." He said.

"Thank you for having me. Everything was wonderful, and, Junichi?"

"Yes?"

Kagami closed her eyes and, with her cheeks burning bright, she moved forward and scrunched her lips together. She kissed him on the cheek. When she pulled away, she opened her soft eyes and asked, "Is that offer to stay here permanently still on the table?"

Junichi was surprised by the kiss as his perplexed face (which amused Kagami) illustrated, but he was eventually able to snap himself back to reality and chuckle.

"I think I can make that arrangement. Though it might cost you."

Kagami tilted her head.

"Another date."

She giggled. "It's a date."

Kagami slowly turned and entered the house, leaving Junichi with a deeply satisfied smile on his face.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

The same night Kagami Hiiragi accepted that she was in love with an educated gangster, Tsukasa had learned of another love story that had been developing between two of her friends. She was elated to hear that Konata's recent mental funk had been snapped by her newfound relationship with Hiyori Tamura. Tsukasa eagerly sat on the sofa in the Hiiragi family living room texting back Yutaka, who was giving her the play-by-play of how it all transpired.

While she texted, Tsukasa contemplated her entertainment options for that evening. Her parents had a dinner date in an hour and Inori made plans to go out with some of her college friends so it was just going to be her home alone tonight. Tsukasa didn't think much of it despite the fact that only a short time ago the idea of being inside the family home by herself at night would've scared her to pieces. Her maturity had been shining through more in recent days and the family silently agreed that it was the visits with Dr. Kishimoto that was helping her. She had finished the book the psychologist had given her and it had given her a more transparent outlook on her situation with Kagami.

Inori sat next to Tsukasa on the sofa, flipping through the channels on the TV and counted down until it was time for her to leave to meet with her friends. After seeing the same rerun of that mediocre sitcom she couldn't remember the title of, Inori turned the TV off and sighed.

"Well, looks like your TV options for tonight are going to be pretty dismal, Tsukasa." Inori sighed.

Tsukasa looked up from her phone and giggled. "That's okay, sis. I'm more interested in what's been going on with my friends lately anyway. Kona-chan found love."

Inori tilted her head as she remembered the blue-haired friend of Tsukasa. She still didn't know her well, but got a real good caricature of her character at Kagami's intervention and Inori couldn't help but smile. She asked, "Oh? With who?"

"Another one of my friends. I think you met her. Her name is Tamura-san." Tsukasa replied.

Inori was surprised at first as she wasn't expecting that but nonetheless agreed that that was a good thing for Konata.

Miki and Tadao came downstairs, each one dressed conservatively. The two Hiiragi daughters turned their heads as Tadao said, "Well, we're heading out."

"Okay." Inori and Tsukasa said together.

"Are you going to be okay by yourself, Tsukasa?" Miki asked.

Tsukasa, still smiling nodded. "Don't worry, mom. I'll be fine."

Miki smiled back. "That's my big girl."

"Have a safe trip." The sisters said and their parents left.

Inori stretched and looked at her watch. She still had some time left before she would have to get ready and leave for the restaurant where she was going to meet her friends, but the boredom was becoming too much for her. She decided there was no harm in getting ready early as Tsukasa insisted her evening was going to be fine. Inori went to her room and got herself ready. She had already showered an hour earlier so all she had left to do was make sure her hair was still together, sprits a bit of perfume on herself, and grab her purse.

Inori barely had time to say goodbye to Tsukasa and to stay safe but that still didn't stop the latter from wishing her big sister a safe and good time. When the front door closed, the Hiiragi house was engulfed in an ominous quiet as Tsukasa curled her legs under herself on the sofa and continued to text Yutaka and Patty.

After another few minutes of texting, the conversation went mute. It was getting late and Tsukasa assumed Yutaka was heading to bed soon while Patty mentioned something about taking a night shift at another cosplay café to keep pushing that bizarre CD she and Konata made together. Tsukasa placed her cell phone on the coffee table in front of her and reached for the remote.

Turning on the TV, it didn't take her long to see what Inori was talking about when she said the digital entertainment was on the bland side tonight. She had seen every episode of ever sitcom being aired tonight so many times that she couldn't even give the episodes a pity chuckle. Still, she watched the episode untill the end, killing half an hour. The news came on next and given her more mature nature, Tsukasa gave it a chance. It too was pretty boring though, until something came on that nearly caused Tsukasa to panic and for the first time she realized how truly quiet it was in her home.

Yuka Miyakawa's mugshot was on the screen while the narrator's voice said, "Police still have no leads in finding and apprehending wanted criminal, Yuka Miyakawa, who is accused of playing a large part in the recent crime wave in the Aku District. Police raided the adult club Teasers last month where Miyakawa was working as a dancer and prostitute, where her involvement in drug smuggling also—"

Tsukasa quickly turned the TV off, the remote shaking in her sweaty grip. She swallowed a large gulp as sweat began to form across her forehead and she felt her heart pound in her chest. Tsukasa slowly sat back into the sofa and breathed deeply. It was upon seeing the devil's face again that made Tsukasa realize how truly alone she was in her own house and she didn't like it.

She quickly reached forward and juggled her cell phone and called Inori.

"Ee…ei…Inori…!" She stammered. "Ka-could you ca-ca-come home pa-pwease?!"

"What's wrong, Tsukasa?" She asked.

"I…I just saw something and I got really scared and I don't want to be alone anymore," she panted. "Could you just please come home?"

"Okay, okay." Inori replied. "Give me about twenty minutes and I'll be home, okay?"

"Okay."

Tsukasa hung up and continued to pant. She whispered to herself that it was all okay and that she was going to be fine. Even though she saw the devil's face, it was still just a picture. Yuka wasn't here and best of all, Tsukasa wasn't trapped in Teasers being tortured and tattooed again. She repeated this over and over again and she was almost completely calm again.

 _BANG_

Tsukasa shrieked with terror when the terrible sound rattled the front door of the house. She felt her sinuses clear as her heart raced and she shook uncontrollably. She utilized her inner voice again to tell herself that it was just a visitor and nothing more. Pulling herself up from the sofa, she walked towards the door and froze when she looked at the door.

Just by looking at the wooden barrier separating her from the sanctity of her house and the unknown made her think. Who would be visiting her at this hour? Even if she was expecting company, why would they announce themselves with a single, violent strike on the door? It was as if someone struck the door with a baseball bat.

Tsukasa gulped again and slowly stepped forward to the door. When she was close enough, she wheezed, "Who is it?"

Nothing.

Her nerves were starting to get the better of her now. She felt like her feet were cemented to the floor and her throat was like cotton as she struggled to back away from the silent door. As she uprooted her feet, the creak of the floorboards beneath her made her tremble in fear. What came next only furthered her growing dismay. A sound came from behind her. It was a familiar and harmonious sound that normally soothed her ears but now, it only made her shake. The gentle rings of the windchimes hanging from the backyard deck gently drifted through the night.

There wasn't a single breath of wind on this night to make them sing.

Tsukasa slowly turned and stared down the empty hallway leading to the kitchen, where the sliding glass door to the backyard stood. The blinds had been drawn since the end of dinner and Tsukasa couldn't see what was on the other side of the door. With each deep breath, she took another step closer to the glass door.

When she stood before the blinds, her trembling hand reached for the cord until she found it and she slowly pulled it. The blinds opened and Tsukasa stared into the darkness. She swatted at the wall for the light switch and turned the outside lights on. The orange light came on, bringing life to the empty yard where nothing resided. The only resident of the backyard was the clothes line, which also stood empty.

Tsukasa breathed another deep breath of relief and turned off the light and closed the blinds again. She took a step back and feeling parched, she quickly moved for the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water. She drank it quickly and stood in the silent kitchen, not noticing the moving shadow behind her and the dark figure that stood in the hallway, watching Tsukasa. Tsukasa kept her back to the hallway as the figure watched her until her lips curled into a malicious smile, bearing her shiny, salivating teeth. The figure moved into the light and closer to Tsukasa.

Tsukasa finished the water bottle and turned around. Her breathing had normalized now as her eyes scanned the empty house. Without a doubt, she was the only person in her house and she kept repeating to herself that everything was all in her head. The bang on the door was probably just the house settling and maybe there was just a quick breeze that gave brief life to the wind chimes. That had to be it. No matter what she was still alone.

When Tsukasa took another relaxing breath, a new sound came from the porch. It sounded like a continuous, low-pitch screech. With her reputable history in housekeeping, Tsukasa recognized the sound to be one of the metal patio chairs slowly being dragged across the porch. Her heart once again began to pound yet her newfound maturity prompted her to move back to the door. She once again found herself standing before the closed blinds just as the screeching stopped.

Tsukasa gulped and opened the blinds and awoke from reality into her nightmare.

Yuka Miyakawa stood before her on the other side of the glass and no sooner did the two girls make eye contact, Yuka pressed her face against the glass and screeched, " _HI TSUKASA WANNA PLAY?!_ "

Tsukasa screamed. She screamed so loud and so hard that she coughed a bit of blood from her once again dried throat as she stumbled backward. Tripping over a few chairs, she scrambled on the floor for her cell phone. She felt on the coffee table as Yuka continued to pound on the glass door but to Tsukasa's horror, her phone was gone.

"Hey Tsukasa, looking for this?!" Yuka screeched again, grabbing Tsukasa's panicked attention.

Tsukasa felt her bladder go limp and all hope turned to dust when Yuka held up her cell phone, the device broken in two pieces and she waved them tauntingly as she dragged her tongue on the glass door. She pulled her face back and yelled, "That's funny. Your phone looks just like how your neck is going to look in a few minutes!"

Screaming again, Tsukasa sprinted down the hallway to the landline phone and pulled it off the receiver. She pulled so hard that her socked feet slipped from under her and she fell to her buttocks and in the limited light provided, Tsukasa wailed when she saw the cord had been cut. Left with no other options, she pulled herself up and decided to make a run for it to the neighbor's house and ripped the front door open.

" _OLLY OLLY OXEN FREE!_ " Yuka's screaming and laughing figure cackled as she came running up the walkway to the open door.

Tsukasa quickly shut the door and locked it. That still didn't stop the shining silver blade of Yuka's prized dagger from crashing through the wooden door, missing Tsukasa's nose by an inch.

" _LEAVE ME ALONE YOU PSYCHO!_ " Tsukasa screamed with all her might and turned to run up the stairs to her room, just as she heard the lock of her front door coming undone and the door slowly opening.

Tsukasa ran into her room, where she had no door to close behind her. Her family still hadn't had the chance to replace the one Kagami destroyed in her drug addicted rage so she was once again at the mercy of Yuka Miyakawa. Curling into a ball in the same corner from when Kagami attacked her with the axe, Tsukasa trembled and cried as she waited to hear Yuka's footsteps ascend the staircase.

Instead, she heard the TV click on and the static rifts of channels being changed. It continued until Yuka's voice yelled, "There's nothing on tonight! How about some music?!"

Silence followed until a song that terrified Tsukasa ripped through the house. It was in English so she didn't understand it but that still didn't make the lyrics any less terrifying as the loud rock song rattled the walls.

 _Hey you, hey you, this won't hurt a bit! This won't hurt a bit, this won't hurt! Says who? Says who? Anesthetize this bitch, anesthetize this bitch, anesthetize!_

Tsukasa held her head and rocked back and forth, fighting off insanity. The song continued until suddenly, it went silent. The house was now quiet again, except for one sound. Footsteps. Footsteps were walking through the house and made their way to the staircase. Tsukasa held her breath as her tears dripped from her eyes. She felt sick to her stomach and was ready to puke as the footsteps got louder and louder until they reached the top of the landing. The footsteps got closer and Tsukasa had no choice but to accept that her time had come. Trying to justify herself in her final moments, Tsukasa took some solace in the fact that she had forgiven her sister for bringing this devil and cause of her death into her life. She just wished she had the opportunity to say goodbye to her mother and father, as well as her biggest sister before Yuka's icy dagger blade would open her throat.

"Tsukasa?"

Tsukasa quickly looked up from her protective ball. Inori stood in her doorway with a perplexed look on her face, as if she walked into some bizarre puzzle.

"What's going on? Are you okay?" Inori asked.

Tsukasa's meltdown intensified as she shuffled on the floor to her big sister. Inori quickly dropped to her knees and hugged her sister and tried to calm her down. Tsukasa stuttered and squealed, paralyzed by fear as she cried and tried to tell her sister what happened. As Tsukasa tried to force it out, she was able to glance down the hallway to the top of the stairs, where Yuka Miyakawa stood with a sinister smile on her face as she slowly ran the dagger blade across her tongue.

Tsukasa screamed again and squirmed in Inori's hug as the oldest tried to calm her down again. Inori was scared and confused by her sister's meltdown and her words weren't sinking in. It was as if Tsukasa was a child again and would run to Kagami's bed after having a bad dream or saw a creepy shadow created by one of her toys in the moonlight. Inori turned around to see the source of Tsukasa's distress, only to see that there was no one else at the stairs or anywhere else in the house for that matter. However, when Miki and Tadao would return in another twenty minutes after Inori would call them, they would see the evidence that they were visited by someone who only wanted to bring them pain and fear.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 41

"What does she want with us?" Tadao furiously demanded as he and Miki sat at their dining room table with Yui Narumi and her partner. "Is it money she wants? Is it revenge for the police raid on that horrible club? I don't understand how anyone can be so sadistic!"

"Hiiragi-san, please stay calm." Yui cooed and Miki held her husband's shoulders, which immediately calmed him and he took a deep breath while the officer continued. "I understand your frustration with the situation and all I can say is that we're doing everything in our power to bring Yuka Miyakawa to justice."

"With all due respect, Officer Narumi, your best isn't good enough." Tadao snapped again. "I mean, that psycho was here last night and she was threatening our daughter! Please explain to me how the most wanted criminal in the whole Saitama prefecture can keep evading police like it's a childish game of hide and seek and then still have the freedom to harass us like this!"

While Miki continued to try and calm her husband, Yui and her partner could only hold their heads low for they knew his words were true. Multiple police departments were doing literally _everything_ in their power to find Yuka and it was still not enough. The girl was like a ghost to law enforcement. As civil servants, they had no words of encouragement and to try and give the Hiiragi family any would only further this insulting travesty that was stalking them.

"Please, you have to know something. What is it she wants from us? What can we give her that will make her leave us alone?" Miki asked, pleading and seeing Tsukasa's curled and trembling body that was still confined to her room.

Before Yui could respond, her partner said it for her. She was thankful too. Yui didn't have the heart to tell the Hiiragi family what Yuka MIyakawa wanted from them.

"Nothing." He said.

Silence from the two Hiiragi parents. Miki stuttered, "Wh-wh-what…?"

Yui's partner shook his head again. "Hiiragi-san, I'm afraid that Yuka Miyakawa doesn't want _anything_ from either your or your daughters. What she wants…is what Tsukasa is already giving her. Fear."

Tadao's face melted to anger while Miki's expression molded to one of broken despair. They had never experienced anything so cold and heartless from anyone or anything. That this _creature_ was stalking them and tormenting their youngest because it gave her a sick thrill to see her afraid.

"That's all she wants?! Just to stalk and terrorize Tsukasa?!" Tadao shouted.

"I'm afraid so, sir. For a malevolent criminal like Miyakawa, constantly reminding your daughter that she's out there waiting for her to let her guard down is her prize." He said coldly. "But what my partner said is true. We are doing everything we can and we're bringing every resource available at our disposal to the table, but unfortunately that's still a tough match against a career criminal who knows all the tricks and tactics, plus one who honestly doesn't care about life or death. Please…don't be mad at her."

Yui smiled gently inside, feeling touched that her partner was standing beside her in this frustrating time. Even though Yui was a traffic cop by trade, not even she was off the table as far as a law enforcement resource was concerned in finding Miyakawa.

Yui turned back to the Hiiragi parents. "I spoke to our chief about your situation and he agreed to keep a police guard outside your house twenty-four seven until Miyakawa is taken down. For now, that's the best we can do for your family, sir."

Tadao and Miki looked at each other with distained looks, feeling completely defeated by the monster that their disowned daughter brought into their lives. The constant police presence did bring some comfort, but it also ushered in a new reality; that the Hiiragi family was now prisoners in their own lives. Even with the police right outside their door, Yuka Miyakawa still owned the fear, and therefore owned them.

Miki turned her head towards the staircase and looked upward, where Inori was sitting with her youngest sister in her room. Ever since that traumatizing night two days ago, Tsukasa refused to leave her bed. She only made quick sprints to the bathroom and would only do that if Inori would escort her, while all her meals had to be delivered to her room and either Inori or Miki had to eat with her. She sighed and prayed that this would all be over soon. A quick flash anger darted across her face when Kagami's face appeared in her mind. In her mind, Miki was easily able to damn her own daughter and even regret the day she gave birth to her at this point.

Within Tsukasa's room, Inori sat on her sister's bed and gently stroked the curled bump trembling under the sheets. She was on hour four of this routine and as much as she loved Tsukasa, she had to admit to herself that this was getting old. She wasn't mad at Tsukasa, but rather mad at the situation. And Kagami.

"Now, now, Tsukasa. Did you hear what they were saying downstairs? The police are going to be right outside our door from now on. No way that crazy girl is ever going to show her face around these parts again." Inori cooed.

Tsukasa rummaged under the covers until her head poked out. Her eyes were glistening with fresh tears and her pale complexion showed just how much this ordeal was taking a toll on her. She quickly shook her head and replied in a quivering voice.

"Ya-ya-you da-don't know, Inori," she whispered feebly. "You don't understand what she's like. She's…she's the devil. She'll stop at nothing to hurt me! She wants my skin! She told me herself!"

Tsukasa quickly retracted under the covers like a turtle into its shell and continued to shake. Inori sighed out of more frustration, unable to convey the necessary soothing words that would put Tsukasa's mind at ease. She started to stroke Tsukasa again, trying to think of something to help her. Hearing her parents downstairs thank the police for coming as Miki and Tadao escorted them to the front door triggered an almost forgotten priority for Inori. Their anniversary was only a couple of weeks away and they still had to plan for it. On top of that, it was the first wedding anniversary they would be commemorating with half of their family gone. Their first celebration without Matsuri or Kagami by their sides, so Inori knew that it was up to her and Tsukasa to make it extra special and sentimental for them.

"Hey Tsukasa, if you keep hiding under your covers, who's going to help me with our parents' anniversary?" Inori asked cunningly with a clever grin.

Tsukasa stopped trembling and mumbled, "Oh yeah, that's at the end of the month, isn't it?"

"Mm-hmm." Inori replied. "And I was counting on you to help me pick out a gift that would be extra meaningful for them because of what's been happening around here lately." Inori added while patting her sister's covered form. "But unfortunately I can't do that if you're here hiding under your covers. And are you really going to let that evil girl have power and control over your life like she did over Kagami's life, or are you going to let your love for our family cast her darkness away? Remember what dad always told us? There is no greater force to vanquish evil than love. So what do you say, Tsukasa? Let's make our shopping trip for our parents be the light that casts that demon away."

Tsukasa remained still for a few more seconds until the rummaging began again. She popped up from her covers and Inori smiled upon seeing Tsukasa's pasty skin had returned to its natural color. She chirped: "You're right, Inori. Mom and dad are counting on us now more than ever, especially since Matsuri and Kagami aren't here anymore."

She quickly threw off her covers and stood fast as Inori watched with a smile.

"I won't let that evil Yuka take control over my life like Kagami did! I will stand up and show the world that I will not be afraid of her or the darkness she brings with her! I will not let her win by constantly living in fear!" Tsukasa proudly proclaimed, making Inori smile and Miki and Tadao came up the stairs.

"My, my, what's all the commotion about?" Miki asked with growing optimism upon seeing the state of her youngest daughter.

Tsukasa and Inori turned to the open door as their parents stepped in. The two sisters glanced at each other with cunning grins and Tsukasa replied, "Oh, Inori and I were just gonna do some shopping."

The two sisters giggled to each other. Neither Tado nor Miki were on to their little scheme, but that didn't matter to them. Just seeing Tsukasa standing tall and reenergized from yet another horrible ordeal made Miki's heart swell and she gave Inori a quick, approving wink.

Inori and Tsukasa took the train to the mall, giggling to each other the whole way. They discussed some basic ideas of what to get their parents but ultimately agreed that no matter what it was going to be, it had to be custom-made. It couldn't be something as clichéd as matching coffee mugs with a family picture in it or some other tacky knick-knack. Their family situation surrounding their anniversary called for it to be unique and original.

They entered the mall through the food court and Tsukasa felt a brief chill run down her spine when she recognized the setting. This was the first time she had stepped foot in the mall since Kagami's downfall began and it was ripe with memories of the twin-tailed Hiiragi hallucinating Matsuri, as well as marked with day zero of her drug addiction. Tsukasa froze for a second, catching Inori's attention.

"You okay, Tsukasa?" She asked.

Tsukasa quickly shook her head clear and smiled again. "Yes, I'm fine. I just…was thinking about something, sis."

They continued further in and as they neared a home décor store, a familiar voice called Tsukasa's name. The youngest Hiiragi daughter turned and her eyes drowned in tears when she saw the waving pink follicles accompanied by the large glasses covering the two beautiful purple eyes of Miyuki Takara. Two eyes. Tsukasa quickly swatted her tears and looked again but sure enough, there she was. Miyuki Takara with two eyes.

The last time Tsukasa saw Miyuki was in the hospital when the youngest Hiiragi was crashing through the agony of drug withdrawal, as well as coming to terms with the fact that Tsukasa murdered a nurse in her drug-induced rage. Tsukasa had isolated herself from the world since her hospital discharge and only spoke to either her family or Dr. Kishimoto, but she was still able to catch bits of news as they floated by. One of those tidbits was that Miyuki had permanently lost sight in her left eye and the eyeball itself had to be surgically removed. But somehow, Miyuki was approaching Tsukasa and Inori with Minami Iwasaki at her side and the pink-haired girl had two eyes.

"Ma-ma-mi-Miyuki…your…your _eye_ …" Tsukasa wheezed as she stepped forward and gently touched Miyuki's face, making her giggle. "You have a new eye. It's beautiful."

Miyuki giggled again. "Thank you, Tsukasa-san. I'm glad you like it. It was custom-made for me and it's made of pure cryolite. Basically, a very strong and realistic glass sculpture."

Tsukasa wiped another tear. "It's so beautiful, just like you, Miyuki. You're out and about and not letting anything get you down. I thought…I thought that you would have been angry at… _you know who_ …for hurting you like this."

Miyuki's smile faded to a curious lip purse. "You mean Kagami-san?"

It startled Miyuki to see Inori and Tsukasa both cringe at the name. Though she couldn't completely blame them, Miyuki's own personality and the way she viewed the world wouldn't allow her to see (no pun intended) everything from a hateful standpoint.

"Oh Tsukasa-san, I don't blame your sister for what she did to me. I don't hate her either. What your sister has…addiction is a disease and the people who suffer that disease are suffering, too." Miyuki calmly stated with genuine sincerity, as if nothing happened and she was still the same Miyuki. "I may not be the most spiritual person, but I am honestly praying that she's safe and that she will one day get better. The world needs more people like the person your sister once was and I know that good person is still in her somewhere."

Miyuki barely had time to finish her last sentence before Tsukasa quickly wrapped herself around her in a tight hug. Tsukasa found herself repeating an old cycle of sobbing freely, only this time it wasn't out of fear or anguish. It was over the revelation from her angelic friend preaching the most innocent of concepts. Forgiveness. As Miyuki giggled softly and hugged her back, Tsukasa remembered her appointments with Dr. Kishimoto, as well as the literature the doctor gave her. It was all on forgiveness and sure Tsukasa read all of them, but to see forgiveness being carried out from someone who had every right to hold a grudge was awe-inspiring. Tsukasa released Miyuki and dried her tears. She decided she was going to forgive Kagami for everything she had done to their family and she decided she wanted to find her.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

"I got ya this time!" Hiyori Tamura announced as her feet sprung into action on the colored arrows on the game platform.

"Not if I have anything to say about it, Hiyorin!" Konata replied jubilantly as her feet also joined on the joining platform and the colored lights below them flashed.

The song _Butterfly_ by DDR blasted on the dancing game in the arcade the two girls were having their date in and their third competition was off. For the past two hours, Konata and Hiyori were neck-and-neck against each other in a fierce gaming competition and whoever would win this best two out of three dance games was crowned "the ultimate otaku." This was the final round and each girl had one win each.

Both Konata and Hiyori were exhausted, but their egos wouldn't show it. It was do or die now and neither one wanted to give an inch. Sweat trickled down their faces as their feet struggled to keep up with the pulsing song but Konata couldn't help but show her fatigue. She had seriously underestimated Hiyori's gaming ability and making the mistake of assuming that being a doujin artist was her only talent. Even putting too much faith in her athletic ability was coming back to haunt her.

Konata glanced over as the song neared its end and saw Hiyori wasn't even breaking a sweat. She only wore a complacent and satisfied smile as she hummed along to the song and danced like a ballerina on the game. The blue-haired girl tried to fight off her emotions as she gazed upon the beautiful young woman that she was fortunate enough to call her own. Every movement, every twist, every gesture was perfectly crafted individualism at its finest, something Konata admired greatly. Still, she was able to get the hearts out of her eyes and come up with one final strategy as the last notes and movements approached them.

"Hiyorin is my girlfriend and I love her!" Konata proudly proclaimed for the entire arcade to hear, making a few turn their heads.

Hiyori's face burned bright red and she missed her last steps as she fell to the floor. The game was over and Konata's score was enough to surpass Hiyori's. She was victorious and Konata wasted no time in letting the world know. Hopping off the game, she did her own little victory dance for the surprised onlookers as they returned to their own games.

"Haha! I told you, Hiyorin! I told you! Not if I had anything to say about it!" Konata bounced. "I will admit I was a little bit concerned there for a minute, but I think a lot of it was from giving you the benefit of the doubt. Maybe you should stick with drawing doujin after all!"

Hiyori felt her heart speed. Not from the dancing, but from Konata's words. Although she knew it was meant to disrupt her flow and make her lose the game, this was still the first time Konata said she loved her, no matter how comedic the mannerism behind it was. She turned to Konata, who was still celebrating her self-acquired throne of "ultimate otaku" and Hiyori smiled at her. Her blush cleared and she slowly approached Konata from behind.

She gently coiled her arms around Konata's shoulders and pulled her close while cooing into her ear, "I love you too, Kona-chan."

Konata's post-victory celebration suddenly ended and now it was her who was tomato-red. Wearing her girlfriend like a cape, Konata glanced around nervously and saw more people were staring at them, some with bitter and disapproving looks.

"He…Hiyorin…people are staring," Konata wheezed nervously as she tugged at Hiyori's arms around her shoulders.

Hiyori gave a seductive yet playful hum. "Are you embarrassed of me?"

Hearing this only made Konata more flustered and she began to sweat. Of course she wasn't embarrassed or ashamed of her girlfriend or orientation, nor was she a prude either. Definitely not a prude. She was, however, in love. It was a feeling she had never felt before. Sure, she joked and made fun of it all the time, but it was something she could never fully comprehend until she grew closer to Hiyori in her vulnerable time. Love was more powerful than anything she had ever felt before and Konata had to admit that it was scaring her to death.

Being overwhelmed by such an emotion was indescribable to Konata. She remembered having a massive crush on Kagami, but she didn't take Konata's breath away like Hiyori did. The love she felt for Hiyori also made Konata realize just how small her existence was. It occurred to her that she had never left Saitama in her life or travel abroad like her friend, Miyuki. Yet when she was with Hiyori, none of that mattered. When they were together, it was like those two were the only people in the world and Konata loved that.

Konata held Hiyori's arm wrapped around her neck and giggled. She turned and looked up to Hiyori with a smile, who suddenly felt embarrassed again. Konata whispered, "No, I'm not embarrassed."

Hiyori was surprised when Konata suddenly kissed her on the lips in front of the whole arcade. She didn't fight it though, even as people stopped and stared while a few boys whistled. Hiyori pulled Konata closer.

After their date, the two girls walked through the park with their hands connected. Hiyori had been carrying her backpack with her during the whole date and wanted to give something to her girlfriend since it began, but wanted the timing to be perfect. They walked around a cobblestone path surrounding a sparkling blue pond where ducks and swans swam freely as the sun began to set on another summer day. Summer was approaching its end and September was just around the corner. But for these two girls, as clichéd as it was, it was still an endless summer for them.

The girls found a nice bench overlooking the pond and the orange sky perfectly colored by the sleeping sun and they sat down. Konata and Hiyori snuggled close and were silent. Nothing had to be said at this point. The silent tranquility dotted only by the peaceful summer evening serenades said it all for them as their two hands kept each other connected. Despite Hiyori's taller stature, she still rested her head on Konata's petite shoulder and happily sniffed her fragrance.

"It's funny, isn't it Hiyorin?" Konata asked.

"Hmm?"

"It's almost like we're two characters in a cheesy romance manga. I mean, here we are sitting on a park bench holding each other and watching the sun go down." Konata quipped slyly.

Hiyori giggled, feeling somewhat robbed of the moment she was about to have by giving Konata the gift she was carrying all day. Regardless, Hiyori sighed and decided it was just as good a time as any. Konata already parodied their date so no harm in making it a little more comical, if not a bit romantic as well.

Hiyori sat up, catching Konata's attention and she began to root through her backpack resting on the ground. She said: "Well if that's how you feel about us, I guess it's only fitting I give you this."

She pulled out her sketchbook and held it to Konata. The blue-haired girl was confused at first but eventually took it and opened the cover. When she saw her own image staring back at her, her green eyes widened and her mouth slowly unhinged in a silent gasp. Hiyori had drawn Konata, as well as herself together in a cute and romantic position. The image showed Hiyori hugging Konata from behind, her face buried in the shorter girl's follicles and breathing deep. Konata was looking upward with a confused yet accepting face while cupping Hiyori's sketched hands cuffed around her torso. "To Konata, my love" was written at the bottom in kanji, accompanied by Hiyori's traditional signature that was sealed on all her work.

"He…Hiyorin…it's so beautiful." Konata gently whispered and took in all the lines and details.

"I…I just wanted to express how much I care about you." Hiyori said, her voice now depressed.

Konata looked at her. Hiyori was looking at the ground with droopy eyes and her feet swayed freely while her arms poorly propped her up. She uttered, "Ever since… _Kagami_ …"

Konata's face twisted in angst but not for Kagami.

"…the only person I could think of was you. I knew how much you were suffering when Kagami started to do drugs and prostitute herself and it gutted me every day to watch you suffer. But when I saw how much you still cared for her despite everything she did, I started to feel what I'm feeling for you now. Your selflessness, your loyalty, and your individuality all wrapped up into one. And when you asked for my help to make you look like a prostitute so you could find Kagami in the Aku District–"

Konata's face scrunched in anticipation for the tears.

"I still wanted to help you…even though my heart was breaking. But now…I've never been happier in my life. Thank you, Kona-chan. Thank you for being here with me."

Konata quickly looked away and swatted a pesky tear away. Silence fell between the two girls aside from the quiet heaves Konata was trying to hide. The pain she caused Hiyori was relentlessly cutting her deep as the errors of her ways flashed in Konata's mind. Now she could truly understand how much pain Hiyori was in when Konata asked her to make that damn outfit for her…just so she could go chase an ill-fated schoolgirl crush. Only now, with Konata's feelings fully awake for Hiyori, could she understand the pain she caused Hiyori and even though the two were together now, Konata still regretted hurting her friend turned lover.

Konata gently placed the sketchbook down and hugged Hiyori close. She gently sobbed into her embrace as the sun finally set on the two girls. Hiyori was happy. Konata was happy. They were happy together.

Later that night, Konata once again walked Hiyori home. The two girls stood outside her house and fully invested in their make out session. Their lips massaged each other's while their arms held each other closely. Hiyori cupped Konata's cheeks towards the end as she could not get enough of her girlfriend.

Their kissing however did eventually end and the two girls said their goodnights to each other. With her gifted portrait firmly in her possession, Konata waved to Hiyori and disappeared around a corner on the block. Hiyori stood there for a few more seconds and even literally pinched herself on the cheek to ensure she wasn't dreaming. She wasn't. It was real. She was going out with Konata Izumi and she couldn't be happier.

It was later so it came as no surprise when Hiyori entered her house and it was dark. What did surprise her was that none of her family members were home. She shrugged and assumed her parents and brothers were out somewhere so she decided to call it a night. She walked up to her room on this especially quiet night and entered her room.

She turned around, closed the door, and turned on the lights. The lights ushered in her nightmare.

"Hi Hiyorin."

Hiyori screamed and jumped from the unfamiliar voice in her bedroom. She quickly spun and saw another girl in her room. At least it didn't look like a girl at first. It looked more like a demon. A demon in human form with golden hair, black eyeshadow, a piercing scowl matched with a horrifying toothy grin. The she-demon was also dressed in black knee-high boots, fishnet stockings coming up to her miniskirt, and a tight checkered top lined with chains around the hem.

"Who are you?!" Hiyori screamed.

"You mean…you don't remember me?" She cackled. "That's a shame my dear, because I _really_ remember you. I especially remember those days where you were my favorite self-cutting emo…but why do you look so afraid of me, Hiyori? Don't you remember what I told you about fear?"

It all suddenly dawned on her and Hiyori thought she heard the toll of distant church bells ringing in the end of her happiness. That mysterious girl whom she met when she was younger and depressed. That girl that tried to get her to take drugs and do horrible things to her body, but her brothers and parents were there to pull her back. That girl that haunted every corner of her dreams for years until her friends in high school cast its shadow away. Now the shadow was back.

"…Yuka…"

Yuka Miyakawa tightened her grin and stepped forward. She stood over the trembling Hiyori. "The Ghost of Christmas Past, my dear. And now…it's time to open our presents."

Hiyori's knees started knocking and she sweated when Yuka slowly unsheathed her dagger and held it up to Hiyori's face. She gently traced the tip of the blade down Hiyori's face, birthing gooseflesh on her body.

"Wha-wha-what da-do ya-you… _want_ …?" Hiyori wheezed.

"I'm so glad you asked me that, Hiyorin." Yuka whispered again. "I want…Kagami Hiiragi back. But not just her. Her whole family. And guess what? _You_ are going to help me get them. All of them. You and that cute little blue-haired girlfriend of yours. If you don't…I will make you take a bath in the entrails of your girlfriend."

Hiyori was crying freely now as she slowly shook her head.

"Now…let's seal the deal with a kiss." Yuka snarled.

She forced herself on Hiyori and kept her pinned to the door as she kissed her, all the while Hiyori could only wonder why.

 _Why…? Why…? Why…my happiness…?_

 **A/N: For all you guys who are still reading this crap, take a look back at Part 1 to Chapter 30 when Hiyori and Patty have their chat about Hiyori's past. Seriously, is anyone actually still reading this?**


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 42

"Then, he nibbled a hole in the cocoon, pushed his way out, and he was a beautiful butterfly. The end." Kagami finished reading the book _The Very Hungry Caterpillar_ to her audience as she held the book up for them.

Her audience included most of the children from Junichi's neighborhood. Mina-chan was sitting in the front row, her face shelved eagerly on her fists as she leaned forward and clung to Kagami's every word. It was a perfect day for outdoor activities and Kagami chose to spend it reading to the children, an activity that gave her a newfound sense of joy. Perhaps it was her pregnancy that waking her feel maternal, maybe it was the warmth she felt from the smiling children who looked up to her like a big sister ever since she came to live with them. Maybe it was Junichi.

Mina-chan was the first to clap for Kagami's performance and the others soon joined in. Seeing the children clap so jubilantly and sincerely for her warmed her heart and she couldn't help but place a hand on her still flat stomach. Even though her stomach was still flat, she could still feel the same warmth radiating from her. Her baby was clapping too, she could feel it. Kagami looked up and saw Mama Sane bringing a cooler full of ice cream treats and she eagerly asked the children who wanted to partake in their consumption. She giggled when she saw how unanimous the decision was.

Mama Sanae opened the cooler and it was like a piranha attack Kagami once saw on a nature documentary. The cooler was picked clean of ice cream in a matter of seconds and Kagami giggled again when she watched Mama Sane's demand for the children to put their trash in the cooler go unheeded. Mina-chan held an ice cream cone in one hand and kept Kagami's hand secured in her other. The two girls walked around the neighborhood on the beautiful summer day enjoying the tranquility and Kagami savored her time with her little Matsuri clone.

As they walked down the street, Kagami looked at Junichi's house. He still wasn't home. She heard him leave his house on his Kawasaki bike earlier in the morning and was accompanied by another one of his soldiers also on a similar street bike. Kagami didn't think he was going on another raid looking for Yuka Miyakawa since he would always go with a large team.

Kagami smiled to herself, reminiscing about their second date they had the previous night. It once again wasn't anything flashy or showy given Junichi's limited resources, but the gesture was just as romantic. Junichi took Kagami to the park where Mina-chan's favorite tree sat on the top of her hill later last night with a telescope and a picnic ensemble. The two enjoyed a nice dinner under the stars with Junichi being the constellation guide for Kagami. He even showed her a few land navigation tricks he learned in the army using the stars as maps. Needless to say she was impressed again. She agreed to a third date right after she kissed him goodnight again on the cheek. Maybe on their next date she would go bolder.

Her memory was interrupted by a thunderous roar approaching the neighborhood. Mina-chan quickly clutched onto Kagami's skirt and snuggled against her hip as Kagami patted the young girl reassuringly. Kagami could tell that motorcycles were approaching them, but they definitely weren't the ones Junichi rode. These engines sounded louder and heavier. Two motorcycles appeared from the curvature of the street and Kagami breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Junichi was riding one of them. His soldier who accompanied him was also riding the second one.

"It's okay, Mina-chan, it's just Junichi." Kagami cooed and hoisted the girl up and held her close.

"It's too loud, onee-chan!" Mina-chan wailed and hid her face in Kagami's long hair.

Kagami nodded in agreement. His last bike released a minorly irritating hum but this one was loud enough to break windows just by gunning the throttle. Carrying Mina-chan, Kagami walked across the street towards Junichi's house where the two men parked and dismounted the bikes after silencing them. Junichi's soldier said a few words to him and then left.

"Hey, what do you think? It's a brand new Harley Davidson Fatboy." Junichi said with pride when Kagami approached.

Kagami narrowed her eyes at the bike. "It's a little loud for the children, don't you think?"

" _But honeyyyyy…"_ Junichi melodramatically wailed.

Kagami instantly blushed to the point where Mina-chan giggled when she saw steam pouring out of her ears. "You idiot. That's not funny." Kagami snapped.

"I know it's not funny. A man should not be forced between the two women he has the hots for!" Junichi wailed again and collapsed to his knees while hugging the bike.

Mina-chan was laughing at the display while Kagami glared at him. She hissed, "You through?"

Junichi quickly sprung to his feet and cleared his face and with a normalized tone replied, "Yeah I'm done."

Kagami just shook her head at him and she put Mina-chan down. "Mina-chan, would you mind giving us some alone time?"

Mina-chan giggled again. "Okay, onee-chan. Just don't be too loud!"

Both Kagami and Junichi's faces went red as the little girl ran away laughing. There was painfully awkward silence between them until Kagami slowly turned her head and looked up at Junichi. He didn't have to look at her to know that she was shooting him a dirty look.

"She doesn't know what she's talking about." Junichi said and turned to her. Sure enough, she was giving an angry and questioning expression glaring at him. "I swear she didn't learn it from me. You know how kids are. They hear something on TV or something and then they'll repeat it without knowing what it means. Was there something you wanted?"

Kagami's face cleared and she huffed. "Seriously though, what's with the bike? I saw you leave on your other one now you got this."

Junichi stared down at the Harley Davidson and patted the seat. "I traded it in for these. Let's just say it's another step closer in both taking down Miyakawa and once again bringing peace to the Aku District."

"And you're gonna do all of that with a motorcycle?" Kagami asked as she folded her arms.

He continued to stare at the massive bike and pursed his lips. "I'll explain it some other time. Anyway, are you ready for tonight?"

Kagami tilted her head. "Ready for what?"

"Our date."

Kagami's cheeks tinted again. A third date? Sure, she was anticipating one, but not so soon. Giggling nervously, she curled one of her pigtails and asked, "What were you thinking?"

She was a bit surprised when Junichi's lips curled upward to a conniving smile and he started laughing. Kagami started to worry. Junichi answered: "I want to take you someplace special tonight…but to get there…you have to ride on the bike."

Kagami's eyes lifted and she quickly frowned. She turned around with her arms folded again and huffed, "No… _wayyy."_

"Honey…"

Kagami stiffened again and turned around. "Will you quit saying that?! Especially in that tone!"

Her flustered persona amused him and he chuckled again. "Oh Kagami you really need to relax from time to time."

Kagami's face softened and she glanced away. "It's not that. It's just…I never had anyone…special before. So hearing things like that makes me nervous."

Junichi's face also relaxed when Kagami's softer side came out. He smiled at her again and walked up to her. She looked up at him and felt those nerves again when Junichi held both her hands.

"Kagami…do you trust me?" He asked.

Kagami cocked her head again. "Huh?"

"You heard me."

"Well of course I do. You took me in when no one else would, gave me shelter and food and have treated me like royalty. I'm forever in your debt for all of that so yes, I do trust you." She replied, even tightening her grip around Junichi's hands.

"Good. Because if that is true, then you would know that I would _never_ let anything bad happen to you or put you in any situation that I wouldn't put myself in." Junichi replied.

Kagami stared into his eyes and continued to feel her heart beat. She could see just how serious he was. His voice was firm with conviction, yet still gentle and smooth. In his eyes Kagami could see that he held strong feelings for her and he saw her as more than just a friend or a guest in his community. Kagami suspected as much and it was no secret to herself that she had feelings for him as well, but admitting it was still a whole other ballgame. She glanced at the bike, now seeing it as a test he was giving her. He wanted to be in a relationship with her, but he couldn't do that if she didn't trust him completely.

Kagami inhaled a deep breath and sighed. She looked up, smiled, and nodded. "I trust you."

Junichi grinned. "Good. Then be ready to go by seven tonight."

His voice was once again firm but delicate in its delivery. Kagami didn't feel as if she was being bossed around and admitted that she liked the idea of a man who was confident and knew how to take control of a situation. She was looking forward to her date tonight and expected it to be a more memorable one. A bolder one.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Her eyes were bloodshot and the skin beneath them were black as a raven's feather. It was the result of no sleep. Hiyori didn't sleep a wink (and was barely able to close her eyes at all) las night after being reunited with the bane of decency and righteousness itself. She sat at her breakfast table and continued to tremble. Her family members had all departed for the day and Hiyori sat alone, a mug of coffee trembling in her shaky grasp. The black liquid swished and swayed with each movement as she slowly raised it to her lips and she sipped it, hoping the drink would wake her up from this nightmare.

She was drinking her coffee black this morning; a very unusual choice for Hiyori. She always preferred her coffee to be sweeter, but this time she needed something stronger to get the vile taste of Yuka Miyakawa's tongue out of her mouth. The harsh flavor wasn't helping. Hiyori could still taste Yuka's tongue prodding the inside of her mouth after she forced herself upon her to dominate her. She shuttered again, unable to wake up from her hellish reality. Every time she closed her eyes, the events of last night would replay in her mind.

 _As Hiyori felt her newfound happiness turn to ash and blow away, Yuka continued to keep her wrists pinned above her head against the door. Yuka was fully enjoying this kiss. Even Hiyori could tell that Yuka wasn't getting sexual arousal from the contact, but rather from knowing that she was dominating and victimizing her. From the little Hiyori knew about Yuka's past, she imagined that the psychopath must have been dealt a horrible blow at childhood to be aroused by control and intimidation._

 _Yuka finally pulled out of the kiss, making Hiyori cough and gasp for air. She still trembled beneath Yuka's grip and her knees knocked. Hiyori could see just how much Yuka was enjoying watching her squirm in fear._

" _Now like I said…you are going to help me flush Kagami out of her little hiding place." Yuka whispered._

" _Ba-ba-but I don't even know where she is!" Hiyori wailed._

" _That's okay…because_ I _do." Yuka hissed. "I've known where she's been for a while now. Ever since I injected her sister with my little drug and her family disowned her. Now…it is time to put my plan into full swing. Kagami will die…Tsukasa will die…their biggest sister will die…and then…I will leave their parents alive just so they can kill themselves over the corpses of their family. I already took two of their daughters…"_

 _Hiyori shook her head. "Why Yuka? Why do you hate them so much?"_

 _Yuka chuckled again and gently rubbed Hiyori's cheek. "Oh my dear Hiyorin…I don't hate the Hiiragi family. They're such a nice and compassionate family with strong religious principles and are always putting the community above their own interests. How could I_ ever _hate them?"_

 _Hiyori could see the irony in Yuka's logic. Yuka Miyakawa was an uninhibited sadist who just wanted the world to burn and seeing such an innocent and pure family like the Hiiragi's suffer was what gave her pleasure. However, Hiyori was still missing one piece of the puzzle. Junichi Watanabe. She was still unaware of the connection Junichi shared with the Hiiragi family and ultimately that was Yuka's motivation. She wanted to destroy Kagami once and for all, as well as the rest of the Hiiragi family, because then it would in turn destroy Junichi. With Junichi weakened, Yuka hoped for a final showdown between the two of them and the winner would forever rule both the Aku District and the drug and prostitution trades that kept the money flowing within it. That was ultimately what it was all about. Yuka destroying Junichi and Kagami and all her friends and family were merely Yuka's pawns to make it all happen._

" _Please Yuka, don't do this." Hiyori whispered as a tear slid down her face. "Just leave me alone. Just leave_ all _of us alone."_

 _It only furthered Hiyori's dismay when she saw her begging and crying was only increasing her captor's arousal. "Like I said, my dear,_ you _are going to help me destroy the Hiiragi family. You and that cute little girlfriend of yours. If not…oh my god the pain that will befall her. Like I said as well, I will make you take a bath in her intestines and to make it better…I will make you watch me gut her. I will pull her guts out slowly while she's still alive. You ever slurp your spaghetti? Well think of that in reverse."_

 _Hiyori's face greened and Yuka giggled at the sight. The long-haired otaku gulped and more tears began to flow freely. She gently nodded, giving her consent that she would help Yuka. She squeaked her question of what she needed to do._

 _Yuka's smile curled tighter and her eyebrows scrunched together, creating a truly frightening image of evil. She patted Hiyori on the head and said, "I'll be in touch."_

 _She pushed Hiyori aside and left her room without saying another word. Afterword, Hiyori cried. She didn't sleep that night._

Hiyori's tired eyelids fluttered a bit and she jolted her head back up. She glared at the conundrum she was in. It was clear to her that Yuka's parting words last night were another part of her psychological torture. She would suddenly appear after all these years to draft her for her war against righteousness but leave her looking over her shoulder of when she would appear again. It was like being in a mafia movie and Hiyori knew that if she didn't obey Yuka, she would wake up with a loved one's severed head in bed with her.

Another thought suddenly came to Hiyori when she tried to wash Yuka's taste out again. She said last night that she had already taken two of the Hiiragi daughters. Hiyori shrugged it off as Yuka's way of saying how she corrupted Kagami and Tsukasa with the drugs.

She was wrong. The Hiiragi's had dealt with Yuka Miyakawa once before a few years ago. They just never knew it. They still didn't know it. They would soon know it.

Hiyori's phone suddenly rang and the chimes made her shriek and jump. She looked at the screen and saw it was Konata calling her. She breathed a quick breath of relief and answered the phone.

"Hey you!" Konata's cheerful voice echoed in the phone. Clearly Yuka only visited Hiyori in the night. "I was wondering if you wanted to go do something today. I was actually watching the weather forecast for the first time I think ever and I saw it was going to start to get cold next week. Guess summer really is over now, huh?"

Hiyori's throat was like cotton as she tried to speak to her girlfriend. She wanted to scream, to cry, to yell at Konata to run. That was Hiyori's first instinct. To tell her to run. Even if she could speak at all, she wouldn't even know where to tell her to run to. That's all she wanted to do. Was just yell _RUN_ into the phone. She wanted to scream and cry for help as well, but knew what would happen to Konata if Hiyori uttered one word about what happened at her house last night.

"Hello? Are you there Hiyorin?" Konata asked.

Hiyori was suddenly able to clear her throat and uttered groggily, "Ye-yeah I'm here. I just woke up."

Konata giggled. "I know that feeling. But like I said it looks like the colder weather is coming and I was thinking we could go for a walk in the park again today. We could also get lunch at that outdoor restaurant you like. You know, the one right next to the lake."

Hearing Konata's voice filled with joyous innocence and bliss made Hiyori's eyes swell with tears knowing that that tone in her girlfriend's voice was short-lived. She did her best to hide her distraught on the phone and was eventually able to agree to a nice romantic walk in the park with her followed by lunch. Hiyori wondered if she would even be able to taste it.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Nighttime fell upon the land and Kagami was walking back to Junichi's house. She was bundled up as per his instructions, though she didn't understand why. It was still warm out even at night and she felt a bit uncomfortable in the layers of clothes but was able to ignore it for the most part. She still pondered what their date was going to be and what this special place was Junichi wanted to take her to. As she approached his house, she saw him looking over the motorcycle. She knew that sometimes motorcycles had saddlebags on the sides used to carry things, but this bike didn't have them.

Junichi looked up and saw her and he smiled. "Good evening. You're looking nice tonight."

Kagami squinted playfully at him. "I feel like the Michelin Man."

Junichi laughed. "Yeah I can understand that but trust me you'll thank me for telling you to wear all of that later. Anyway, are you ready?"

She smiled and nodded. "Though I am a bit nervous. I've never rode on a motorcycle before."

"You have nothing to be afraid of," he said and reached down behind the bike and lifted up two helmets. "But just to make you feel better I thought you'd appreciate having this on."

Kagami smiled and nodded again, quickly grabbing the helmet. She quickly redid her hair so the helmet would fit over her head and Junichi sat on the bike first. He stood it up and Kagami slowly pulled herself over the side and sat behind Junichi, placing her feet on the foot pegs and she quickly coiled her arms around his torso.

He patted her conjoined hands and said, "Here we go!"

He started the bike and the engine's mighty roar made Kagami tighten her grip around his stomach. She thought she might hug him so tight that she might cut him in half, especially when she felt him put it in gear and the bike began to move. Even though she trusted Junichi, she was still fighting off panic, especially as the bike left the neighborhood and began to speed up. She instantly realized why Junichi instructed her to dress so warmly. Even though the night was warm, she started to feel chilly as the bike picked up more speed and the wind became more violent. When she saw how close they got to other cars as the motorcycle continued to zip past them, she clamped her eyes shut and whimpered.

Kagami kept her eyes closed for a few more minutes until she slowly opened them again. They were about ten minutes into the journey and despite the engine's mighty roar, Kagami had to admit how relaxing being on the motorcycle was. Maybe it was how tightly she hugged the man she cared about, maybe it was how she could hear his heartbeat when she put her head to his chest, maybe it was the peaceful night, or maybe it was how riding the motorcycle made Kagami feel like she was flying.

She eventually felt comfortable enough to look around and hoisted her head upward to look at the stars. They somehow felt closer on the motorcycle and Kagami was intrigued how her vision somehow began to funnel into the immediate. She was no longer looking at the sky. She was one with it, flying freely in it and she felt her lips slowly curl with satisfaction at the newfound sense of freedom it gave her. She couldn't explain it but simply riding on the motorcycle melted all her problems away and all the memories that tormented her faded away. Kagami was able to fully relax and felt herself melting into the seat with her loving grip around Junichi.

Before she knew it though, the bike began to slow down and Kagami looked around. They had left the suburbs a long time ago and were in a more secluded setting. Junichi pulled the bike into a stone parking lot and stopped the bike, allowing Kagami to look around more. They seemed to be at a camping ground area as they were practically in the woods. There was a single trail leading into the woods illuminated by the generous full moon.

Junichi dismounted the motorcycle and helped Kagami off as well. "How was that?"

She removed her helmet and couldn't help but pant and smile. "I liked it."

He smirked to her. "This way."

He held out his hand and Kagami slowly took it and she blushed as she watched their fingers intertwine with each other. Junichi led her to the trail and the two walked on it, their hands conjoined. Kagami scooted closer to him both for warmth and for comfort. They were definitely at a higher elevation as she could now see her own breath in the night sky and she had to admit being out in the woods at night was never her idea of a good time.

"Almost there," he said after they walked for five minutes.

She looked up and saw a small orange glow in the clearing ahead. They walked up the final small hill and made it to the top of an observational overlook. Kagami's mouth dropped and her eyes widened when she saw they arrived at the top of a cliff and the whole Saitama prefecture was ahead of them in the valley below. It was like an endless ocean of darkness dotted with millions of sparkling diamonds in the night. They approached the edge of the cliff and Kagami could see cars moving on the streets ahead, their headlights giving away their locations. She could also see an airplane coming in for a landing near Tokyo. It was like the world's largest Christmas village right before her eyes.

"Junichi…this is so beautiful." She said softly. "I can see everything from up here."

"Not yet," he said, grabbing her attention. She saw him looking at his watch until it started beeping. He smiled and looked up at the sky. "Now you can."

Kagami turned and looked upward again, only to be shocked once again. A meteor shower began in the sky, streaking more incredible lights across the sky. Kagami cupped her mouth in awe over such a stunning display as Junichi slowly approached her from behind. He slowly wrapped his thick arms around her slim waist and pulled her close while placing his face gently onto the top of her head. She reveled in his touch and hummed softly.

"Thank you for bringing me here." She whispered as she hugged his arms around her waist.

"You're welcome…and I was hoping I could ask you a question."

"Yes?"

"Would you stay with me?"

Kagami slowly looked up and turned to face him. "Stay with you?"

"Kagami…I've really enjoyed your company at my neighborhood this past month and I remember when I showed you your family heirlooms and you wanted to take them home?" He asked.

She nodded.

"I will admit I was scared then. I still am to be honest. I was scared that you were going to leave and I would never see you again. I really like you…I can actually say that…I love you, Kagami." He said shakily but still firmly.

Kagami felt her face set ablaze. No one ever told her that before. Sure, she heard it from her family every day before her downfall began, but it was a different kind of love. Kagami was scared as well. She was scared of these feelings, as well as the idea of someone being in love with her. A poor image after everything she endured was still something she struggled with, but she could still see the sincerity in Junichi's eyes and hear it in his voice. He truly did love her.

She gulped and felt her eyes swell. The only response she could give was to quickly jump up and hug him tight. A few tears dripped from her eyes and she sniffed quickly. She whispered, "Of course I'll stay."

The two slowly let go of each other but still held each other closely. Kagami gulped again. She wanted to make a move. A bold move. Closing her eyes again, she puckered her lips, lifted her face up, and waited. She didn't have to wait long for Junichi's pursed lips to make contact with hers. The two lovers held each other closely and deepened their kiss under the shower of shooting stars christening their relationship.


	10. Chapter 10

CHAPTER 43

One week since Kagami accepted Junichi's offer to stay with him in his neighborhood was also the same week Hiyori Tamaru didn't sleep peacefully through a single night. But of course, the twin-tailed girl didn't know that. What she did know was how happy she was, even as she packed the last of her family's heirlooms in a box. Sitting in Junichi's living room, she hummed happily as she finished packing them with the intent of having them sent back to her family's home, along with a personal note inside the box.

Kagami gently clothed the gold Buddha statue in bubble wrap and sealed it with scotch tape. Observing it one more time with a smile, she sighed with deep nostalgia laced with a hint of lingering regret and she gently placed it in the box. Kagami reached for the floor and grabbed a sealed envelope with her family members' names written on the front. It was a simple note highlighting some of the more important aspects of her timeline since she was disowned from the Hiiragi household.

Kagami mentioned that she was okay and that she was pregnant, as well as the fact that she met a good man who was taking care of her and helping her get back on her feet. She also mentioned that they were dating and that she was getting everything together. She was no longer a junkie or a prostitute and vowed to make something of herself. She also explained how she came across the family artifacts. Above all, she said how sorry she was and that she would never bother her family again.

She put the envelope in the box and sealed the carboard flaps. Pulling long strands of shipping tape, she sealed in shut just as her boyfriend walked through the door. It was another warm day outside, though the autumn crisp couldn't be denied. Still, it didn't stop Junichi from wearing a black wife beater in addition to his usual tactical cargo pants. Kagami didn't mind since it showed off his muscular build and tattoos.

"What cha' doin?" He asked as he walked in.

Kagami stood up and faced him with a smile. "I was hoping one of your men could do me a favor. I was hoping they could take this box back to my family's house in Saitama."

Junichi glanced at the box then back to her. "Of course. What are you sending?"

"I'm sending my mother's heirlooms back to my family. Along with a note telling them that I'm okay." Kagami said with a smile.

Junichi flashed a bit of concern at first. "I hope this means you're not saying goodbye to them for good. I'd hate to play a role in a soon-to-be mother cutting ties with her family and keeping someone like Tadao away from his grandchild."

Kagami smiled and held his hands. "I know and I'm not planning on that. I wrote them a note and put it in the box. I just wanted them to know that I'm doing fine and that I am pregnant, as well as hoping I can get back in touch with them some day. For now, I just want them to have their heirlooms back and I think giving them a little more time away from me will do them good."

Junichi sighed. "If that's what you want then I'll arrange for them to take it today. Are you feeling better since this morning?"

Kagami rubbed her stomach and remembered feeling sick for most of the morning that day. Mama Sanae examined her, being the former nurse she was, and concluded that it was just morning sickness; a normal side effect of pregnancy.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Besides I don't want to miss the cookout with everyone tonight. Having a final neighborhood celebration for the end of summer is a good idea." Kagami said.

Junichi smiled. "Glad you think so. It wouldn't be a party without you."

Kagami smiled and snuggled closer to him. She rested her arms on his shoulders while Junichi placed his hands on her hips. Kagami added sweetly: "You know it…and I was hoping we could dance together too."

His smile grew. "Just try and stop me."

She giggled and the two leaned in and started kissing again. The kissing evolved into a make out session and Junichi led Kagami to his sofa and he sat down. Kagami sat on his lap and the two lovers continued kissing and holding each other tightly. Kagami reveled in feeling his muscular arms hold her as she cupped his cheeks. The twin-tailed Hiiragi's face was red but she was comfortable with this display of affection, as was Junichi. She couldn't help but laugh internally about how shy and prudish she once was about such activities, yet at the same time couldn't help but gag at the irony of what she used to do to her body in the Aku District when she was under Yuka's control. Kagami was able to shoo the dank memory away and be at ease in this pure gesture with her boyfriend.

Junichi's cell phone suddenly began ringing on the coffee table in front of them, abruptly halting their make out session. Kagami groaned as she put her face in Junichi's shoulder. Her muffled voice said: "Let it go to voicemail."

"Wish I could, baby, but I'm expecting that call." Junichi replied, his voice equally disdained. "We're having some extra guests tonight for the cookout."

Kagami crawled off his lap and let him answer the phone. She gave a befuddled stare when Junichi answered it and said: "This is Reaper."

She cocked her head to the side. And couldn't help but listen to the conversation.

"Good hearing from you, Bullseye." Junichi said and listened to the voice on the other side. "Yeah the cookout is still on for tonight and I'm looking forward to meeting you and the rest of the club tonight…yes I am still interested in a patch-over but on my one condition regarding Miyakawa…I understand…yeah…yeah…okay…yeah my men will be onboard with that as well…and our long-term plan for the Aku District? Perfect. Yep, all of that sounds good. All right. See you and the others tonight and bring your appetite, brothers. Alright, see you then. Later."

Junichi hung up the phone and dropped it on the table. He turned to Kagami, who held her puzzled face. She was quick to ask: "What exactly are you planning, Junichi?"

He quickly glanced away and was silent.

Kagami frowned at him. "I have a right to know what's happening, Junichi. Remember last week when I rode on the motorcycle for the first time? That was all about trust and I trusted you. So you owe me the same courtesy."

He pursed his lips and nodded. "You're right, Kagami. You do have a right to know what's going on and I do trust you just as you trust me…so I'll tell you."

Junichi sat down next to her. "Do you remember last week when I first brought that motorcycle home and I said that it was just one more step in taking down Miyakawa?"

Kagami nodded.

"Well, the man I was on the phone with is the president of a motorcycle club called _The Forsaken Sons_. They're an outlaw gang from Tokyo and I came to him with our issues regarding Miyakawa and the Aku District." Junichi said. "They're willing to help us find Miyakawa, as well as bring peace back to the Aku District and cleanse it of the drugs and human trafficking. In exchange, my men and I are going to become a part of The Forsaken Sons MC. That'll allow them to grow and expand their club and the territory they control."

Junichi's response only raised more questions for Kagami than it did answers. "I…I don't really understand. You said they're an outlaw motorcycle gang? And you're associating with them to bring down another outlaw? If that's the case, then are you becoming an outlaw as well? Wouldn't that be contradicting your whole plan about returning peace to the Aku District? It seems like it would be a never-ending cycle of outlaws coming in and out of the Aku District."

"Technically I already am an outlaw, Kagami. Remember our first meeting consisted of me executing Yuka's cousin right in front of you. Ryuji wasn't the first person I ever killed either." Junichi replied.

"But that's different!" Kagami suddenly wailed.

"How so?"

"Ryuji was…he was…he…" Kagami stuttered as she began to see the never-ending loops she was now a part of. "He hurt a lot of people! He hurt a lot of innocent women and girls like me! He and Yuka tricked me into doing all those horrible things by convincing me they loved me! You never did such a horrible thing!"

"I still killed a lot of people, Kagami." Junichi said. "You may be right that I never forced a woman to prostitute herself, but I still have to call a spade a spade and say that I am a killer. Just like Ryuji and Yuka."

Kagami was starting to become flustered and Junichi could see why. He could see that even Kagami knew her boyfriend was a killer, but she was trying to justify it in her mind because it was him. Junichi could see that Kagami still had a long way to go to fully understand his world and it was as he watched her struggle with her own logic that he began to wonder if he was doing the right thing by letting her stay with him.

"But look at what you've been able to accomplish here, Junichi!" Kagami exclaimed again. "You've built this neighborhood and saved all those people out there! You saved women and children who otherwise would've become more victims of Yuka Miyakawa!"

Junichi nodded. "That's true…but everything we have here…everything you see…all the comforts we have were all because me and my men took them from others by force. My men robbed for the money and resources to build this neighborhood, my men and I beat up and killed other people so those people out there could be free. The end result here may be good, but everything comes with a price, my dear."

Kagami turned away. "I don't want to hear it! You're not a bad guy!"

"I am, Kagami. I am." Junichi replied. "I hurt other people and steal. It doesn't matter what or why I do it all for. The things I do is the definition of what a bad guy is to society and–"

"Then fuck society!" Kagami quickly turned and yelled. "I don't care what society thinks about you or the others here! You are all good people and if you have the best interest of others at heart and you only want to help, then it shouldn't matter what or how you accomplish it! Besides, I don't care what you think about yourself in your own mind! In my mind, as well as everyone else's minds, you're a hero, Junichi!"

Silence fell between the two and as Kagami panted from her frustration, Junichi simply stared at her with a deadpan expression. He suddenly closed his eyes and smiled, making Kagami more confused. He chuckled a bit and Kagami was about to get madder at him, until he cupped her cheeks.

"Thank you, baby." He said softly. "If only the rest of the world was like you."

Kagami sighed as she nestled her face deeper into Junichi's palms. "I just want to know that everything is going to be okay. I love you, Junichi, and I want us to be a family."

"Look at me," he said and Kagami stared deep into his eyes. "Everything is going to be okay. No matter what, I will always watch over you and protect you."

He concluded everything with a quick kiss on her forehead, making Kagami feel like jelly. With him by her side, Kagami was convinced that everything was going to work out for her. She still held her concerns regarding who this outlaw motorcycle gang was and what they were all about, but Kagami still trusted Junichi. More than anything, she looked forward to the social event tonight and spending time with the rest of the friends she had made since her arrival.

True to his word, Junichi took the box and tasked two of his soldiers with returning it to Kagami's home. They loaded it into one of the vans and drove it out of the neighborhood. The two soldiers weren't in any of their gang colors and made small talk as they drove.

"Funny how Kagami and Junichi got together…and how they're connected by the same enemy." The soldier driving the van asked.

The other soldier took a drag on his cigarette and blew the smoke out the open window. It was his final drag before he threw it out the window and nodded. "Yep. Can't believe that Miyakawa was also able to destroy all the Hiiragi's daughters. Her evil really knows no bounds."

The driver glanced at him. "Don't they still have one that wasn't corrupted by her? The oldest one?"

The other soldier looked up. "Oh yeah that's right. I think her name is Inori or something like that."

"Well let's hope we can take out the psychopath before she does any more damage. Let's also hope we don't have to nuke the entire Aku District just to make sure she's dead." The driver added as he turned the van into traffic and continued for the Hiiragi residence.

Junichi's soldiers drove for another half hour until they entered the neighborhood where the Hiiragi's lived. Following Junichi's directions, they turned another corner and saw the infamous shrine at the end of the street. What they weren't expecting to see, however, was a police car parked right outside their front door. Miki Hiiragi was also appeared to be conversing with the two officers as they sat in their car.

"Whoa…what the fuck…" the driver said calmly yet puzzled.

"I have no idea. Keep driving and look innocent." He ordered.

The driver nodded and they slowed down to the appropriate speed limit for the neighborhood. They kept staring forward and drove past the cop car. The police officers were indeed talking and apparently laughing with Miki. It appeared to be a friendly conversation between the three individuals. The soldiers rounded a corner and parked the van on the side of the road.

"Now what?" The driver asked.

"We wait until they leave." The other soldier replied. "They're just cops passing through. Nothing to worry about."

Junichi's soldiers were unaware that the police officers _weren't_ going anywhere. At least not until their shift ended and another patrol car would take their place. News of Miyakawa's harassment of the Hiiragi family had not reached Junichi, so they were all unaware of the twenty-four-hour police protection stationed there. Junichi's soldiers began to realize they may have a conundrum on their hands when an hour passed and the cops were still sitting there. Miki had gone back into the house a while ago but they began to figure out why they were there.

"That's police protection. No doubt about it and you just know it is because of that motherfucking Miyakawa." The driver said as he kept an eye on the cop car in his rear-view mirror.

"Yeah that's pretty clear." The other soldier said as he finished another cigarette. "We might have to call this one off and tell Junichi that Kagami herself might have to deliver the package. If we try to walk up to that door, I doubt it'll go swimmingly for us. Especially considering there's warrants out for both of us."

Before the driver could respond, another police car turned down the street ahead of them. The two remained silent and acted casual, letting the cruiser pass them. They breathed a collective exhale when it passed them and they watched in the mirrors. The second car pulled alongside the first one and the soldiers watched the police officers converse.

"Yeah that's total twenty-four protection. Miyakawa has definitely been here." The driver noted. "I say we get out of here while we still can."

"I agree. Let's go." He said.

The driver started the van and no sooner did the engine turn, the lights and sirens from both police cars erupted. Both cars quickly spun around and sped for the van.

"Fuck! Go! Go! Go!" The other soldier yelled.

"So much for being discrete!" The driver exclaimed and threw the van into gear and tried to floor it.

The van was too bulky and slow and was easily outmatched by the police cars. The two police cars parked behind the van and all four officers exited, guns already drawn.

"You in the van! Come out with your hands up!" A female officer yelled as she pointed her pistol at them.

It was Yui Narumi.

"What do we do?" The driver asked.

The second soldier glanced from the cops aiming their weapons at them, to the box in the back of the van, and the road ahead of them. As he readied to tell his comrade to make a run for it, the distinct roar of approaching engines was heard. Suddenly, two black Harley Davidson motorcycles zipped around the corner and approached the cops from behind, grabbing their attention. The riders were muscular with long beards and wearing leather cuts with patches sewn on them. They each held bricks in their hands and they both hurled them. The bricks sailed through the air and crashed into the back windows of each car, smashing the windows.

"Hey cops, over here!" One of them yelled and both riders turned back towards the Hiiragi house.

"Freeze!" Yui and another officer yelled and chased after the bikers.

Junichi's soldier seized the opportunity and jumped out of the van while unsheathing a knife. He quickly stabbed the front tires of each police car, deflating them. As the other officers saw what he was doing, they turned back to him. He quickly opened the van doors and pulled the box out and placed it on the ground.

The Hiiragi family quickly raced out of their house to see what all the commotion was about and they beheld a circus right in front of their house. The bikers quickly sped off just as Junichi's soldier jumped back into the van as the driver began to take off. Before they were gone, Miki stepped forward and was able to hear him yell at her.

 _"KAGAMI SENDS HER REGARDS!"_

He withdrew back into the van and slammed the doors as it sped away. The police officers were livid over the events that blindsided them and also damaged their cars. Yui was on her radio relaying everything that just happened to the other police cars in the area and told them to be on the lookout for the perpetrators.

Regardless of the bizarre spectacle that occurred outside their home, the Hiiragi's felt they weren't in any danger and Miki approached the box left by the strangers. Although she wasn't a criminal expert, Miki knew that whoever those people were, they weren't with Yuka Miyakawa. From her experience, Yuka seemed to be the type of criminal that wouldn't hire outside help to do her dirty work. That would spoil all the fun for her so this was a different matter.

Miki approached the box and recognized Kagami's handwriting, making her heart beat with both euphoria and malice. The rest of her family approached her as the police continued to secure the scene and radio for additional cars to the area. Miki asked her husband to borrow his pocketknife and he produced it for her. She opened the blade and cut the tape and opened the flaps.

When she saw what was inside, Miki cupped her mouth and felt her eyes glisten with tears. To see her beloved family heirlooms left to her so long ago that were selfishly sold for drug money now staring back at her set her heart ablaze. She thought they were lost forever and the hope to one day pass them down to her children was returned to her as well. Miki could barely contain herself as her trembling hands gently lifted the golden Buddha statue.

Inori reached into the box and saw the envelope tucked to one side. She reached in and pulled it out and proceeded to open it while Tadao and Tsukasa lowered themselves to their knees to relish in this happy moment.

"Uh…guys…" Inori's voice was fallow and short.

Her family looked up at her and took notice of her bleaching complexion.

"You might want to read this." Inori said. "It's from Kagami…and she's saying she's pregnant."

When Junichi's soldiers arrived back at the neighborhood, they were accompanied by the two bikers. Kagami and Junichi were on a walk together at the time and upon their return to his house, his soldiers and the bikers were waiting for him. Kagami tightened her grip on his hand when she saw the intimidating bikers and they looked like the epitome of bad news. Junichi patted her hand to let her know it was okay and they approached.

"The Forsaken Sons I take it?" Junichi asked.

The bikers nodded. One stepped forward. "My name is Sinner. I'm the Sergeant at Arms for the club and this is my wingman, Eyeball. We heard your men were in the area delivering a package and we thought they might need some backup. Turns out we were right."

Junichi turned to his men. "What happened?"

Junichi's driver soldier sighed. "When we got to the house, there was a cop car parked outside. We parked further down the street and tried to wait them out but another car showed up to I think relieve them. They got suspicious and tried to get us out of the van. That's when these guys showed up."

"We provided a distraction so they could offload their cargo and make a getaway. Gotta give them credit on slashing the cop car tires before they left though. That was some quick thinking." The biker named Eyeball added.

"Was anyone hurt?" Junichi asked.

"No. No guns, no shootouts, nothing. Just two broken windows and flat tires." Sinner stated. "Our president knows how important that is to you that no cops are hurt."

Junichi nodded. "It is and thanks for looking out for them. And thanks for delivering my old lady's package."

Kagami shot a piercing leer at him after hearing his title for her. "Your what?"

"Biker term, Kagami. It means you're my girl." He said with a wink.

Kagami rolled her eyes. "But you guys were able to get the box to my family?"

The soldiers nodded. "Yes. Your family came out of the house just as we were taking off so I'm sure they got it."

Kagami smiled. "Thank you for doing that…but you also said something about cop cars parked outside my house?"

"We don't know why though. We were thinking it may have something to do with Miyakawa." The other soldier added.

Kagami threw a concerned look at Junichi, who looked down at her. He reassured: "That may be for the best. You told me that Yuka was holding your little sister captive for a bit until she released you both. The cops are probably there as a precaution."

Kagami glanced away and nodded. "I suppose you're right."

"Anyway, glad you guys could make it. We're expecting the rest of your club in a few hours." Junichi added. "Until then, make yourselves at home. My men will show you around."

"As long as they don't lead us to any more cops." Sinner joked.

Junichi turned to Kagami as the bikers followed the soldiers. "Ready to start setting everything up?"

She smiled and nodded.

They walked to the house and as they neared the front door, a sharp stabbing pain struck Kagami's stomach. She quickly stopped and hugged herself while groaning in agony. It was worse than this morning. Much worse.

"Are you okay?" Junichi asked while patting her back.

The pain slowly subsided and Kagami looked back up. "Yeah I'm fine. Just another bout of sickness I think."

The twin-tailed girl was able to shake it off and assure her boyfriend that she was fine. He still kept an eye on her even as they assisted the rest of the neighborhood residents with the setup. It consisted of assembling a bunch of tables and chairs, as well as gathering a bunch of grills around the area in the park near the pond where Mina-chan liked to play. The children soon playing games in the park as more and more bikers arrived at the cookout as the evening hours approached.

Kagami had to admit that she was nervous about meeting them at first but it didn't take her long to see just how misguided her initial judgements were. She never would've expected a biker gang to consist of some of the nicest and friendliest people she had ever met. Even the bikers who brought their "old ladies" were some of the nicest and classiest ladies Kagami ever met. They were firm believers in traditional principles, dedicated to family, and dedicated to the men they loved and the children they had. Some of the old ladies shared some of their fondest memories with Kagami about being on the open road with their men and Kagami had to admit that they were all poetic sentiments.

As the evening wore on, Kagami could safely say that she had made a bunch of new friends. As promised, Junichi made good on another promise he made regarding dancing when the music started playing on the speakers that were also put together for the cookout. Kagami never smiled and laughed so hard in her life as she danced with Junichi while other couples joined them on the floor. Even as darkness entrenched the land and the temperature started to drop to its welcoming embrace of the changing seasons, Kagami still had a blast and wished the night wouldn't end.

As the night wore on the height of the party's activity began to wind down, Junichi and the other bikers stepped aside and confined themselves to a more secluded part of the cookout. They smoked big cigars and passed a rum bottle around to fill each other's glasses while they talked. Kagami watched from afar as this was a private matter between the men discussing business. She understood that and didn't feel as if she was missing out. She was having too much fun with her new friends anyway.

Kagami sat next to Sinner's old lady, a friendly woman whose road name was Bug. Kagami gravitated towards her the most because she was in a similar position as herself. She made a lot of bad decisions at an early age, wasn't on good terms with her family, but most of all, Kagami found it hard to stop rubbing Bug's pregnant stomach. She was due in a couple of weeks.

"So this is number three?" Kagami asked as she rubbed the belly.

She nodded. "Number three. I want more than three kids but I think Sinner is going to be done after this one."

"Wow…and I'm losing sleep at night over raising my first one." Kagami was able to pry her hand away and return it to her own stomach. "I'm only two months pregnant and everyday I'm worried about what kind of mother I'm going to be."

Bug giggled. "It's going to be fine, honey. I think you have a good man by your side and I think it'll all work out. Our club really likes him."

Kagami turned her head back to Junichi, who seemed to have the floor and was addressing the rest of the bikers. She turned back and nodded with a smile. "I am very lucky."

A sudden flash of light lit the sky on the horizon. It was followed by a low and distant thunder clap. A storm was coming. The festivities had calmed to the point where people started packing their things and preparing to leave before the storm came. Junichi adjourned the meeting and said his goodbyes to the bikers as they packed up and started to leave. He had a few final words with Bullseye, the president of The Forsaken Sons. They left with a handshake and a hug.

As Kagami was about to join her boyfriend, she felt a small hand tug at the hem of her shirt. She looked down and saw Mina-chan looking up at her with puppy eyes and clutching a storybook.

"Onee-chan? Would you read a story to me?" She asked in a pleading voice. "A storm is coming and I get scared unless someone reads my book to me."

Kagami smiled and bent down to her. She patted her head and replied, "Of course I will."

Kagami said goodbye to her new friends as they began to leave and exchanged phone numbers with Bug and a few of the other girls. When they left, Kagami took Mina-chan back to her house. She walked and held the little girl's hand and hid the pain she was feeling from more cramps in her stomach.

Mina-chan's story of choice for the night was a bit cliched but still appropriate for a girl her age. It was a tale of a knight rushing to save a princess trapped in a castle guarded by a dragon. As cliché as it was, Kagami couldn't help but see parallels between herself and the story. She felt as if she was the princess trapped in the castle guarded by the evil dragon named Yuka Miyakawa while her knight in shining armor Junichi rode to save her.

By the time Kagami finished the story, Mina-chan was fast asleep and Kagami couldn't help but gently kiss her on her forehead. Kagami then left Mina-chan's house after saying goodnight to her parents and slowly walked back to Junichi's house. A few bikers were still present as she walked. As she got closer, she recognized the two soldiers who delivered her box earlier. She smiled and wanted to thank them one more time and approached them.

She remained undetected and she was able to hear their conversation. She was able to drop into the conversation when she heard: "and then there was Matsuri, too."

Kagami froze in her steps, her heart now racing. Did she hear them correctly? Did they just mention the name of her departed older sister? The sister that Kagami to the day blamed herself for the death of? She hoped it was a coincidence as she stepped closer.

"Yeah, that poor girl. I remember Junichi talking about the hardship she had to endure after he spoke to Tadao about it." The other soldier said.

Kagami's heart sped up faster and sweat began to form on her head as she stayed concealed behind a tree and listened. Junichi, her boyfriend, was keeping a secret about Matsuri from her?

"That's just one more reason we have to kill Miyakawa. How many more women is she going to victimize? How much more does that family have to suffer until she's satisfied?" He added.

Kagami had heard enough. Feeling her anger boil, she quickly retreated away from the soldiers as they continued to smoke their cigarettes. Kagami stormed up the steps of Junichi's stoop just as another bolt of lightning lit the sky and she pushed the door open. Junichi was washing a few dishes in his kitchen.

"What are you keeping from me?!"

Junichi jumped slightly and spun around, seeing Kagami in a very flustered state. "Uh…what?"

"You heard me! What are you keeping from me?! About Matsuri!" She yelled.

"Kagami, calm down! I don't know what you're talking about!" Junichi countered as he dropped the dish in the sink and approached her. "Take a deep breath and talk to me. What's going on?"

"I heard two of your guys out there talking about my dead sister, Matsuri." Kagami snapped as she panted. "They said something about a hardship that Matsuri had to endure because of Yuka and that you spoke to my father about it. I remember you telling me that he was a mentor of yours but what do you know?"

It took a second for Junichi to process everything Kagami was ranting about but it soon clicked. His face lifted with a sudden strike of realization and disbelief that Kagami never knew this story about her sister. Kagami knew of an incident involving Matsuri that drove the final wedge between the two sisters before the latter's death.

Kagami had come home with Misao Kusakabe drunk after meeting Ryuji at the party and Matsuri was beyond livid with her sister. Matsuri tortured the two hungover girls in the morning and Miki and Tadao let it slip out that Matsuri was in a "similar" incident as Kagami a few years ago. She too made a bad decision at a party and it tortured her until the very end. Kagami never found out what that mistake was or how bad it was. All she knew was that it was bad judging by how big Matsuri's meltdown over it was when Kagami confronted her on it. Now it seemed Junichi knew about.

"Oh my god, Kagami…I…I thought…I thought you knew." Junichi stammered.

"Knew what?!"

"About…Matsuri. What happened to her. How she was the first member of your family to be the victim of Yuka Miyakawa." Junichi replied.

Kagami's angry and feral expression slowly melted to one of a scared and meek child. "It…it's true?"

Junichi sighed. "I'm sorry, baby, but I only thought you knew because I assumed Yuka told you herself to taunt you. I think you need to sit for this."

Kagami gulped and wobbled to the sofa and slowly sat down. Junichi sat next to her and held her hand. He cleared his throat: "After Matsuri graduated high school, she too went to a party with her friends. Yuka was at that party. She was there lying in wait for your sister…so she could be the first."

"First?"

"First victim. Yuka Miyakawa has been after your family for a long time. She's been stalking and plotting against all of you for years." Junichi replied with sorrow. "Yuka met Matsuri and because Yuka has the manipulative skills she does, she was able to become friends with Matsuri, at least that's what Matsuri thought. They partied and drank together and when Matsuri was, well, tipsy, Yuka slipped some ecstasy into Matsuri's drink.

"Matsuri didn't remember much after that but when she sobered up, she was naked in a motel room with Yuka and Ryuji. It turned out Yuka made a sex tape with Matsuri and she threatened to upload it to the Internet. Matsuri begged and pleaded with them not to do it, but all her begging was just entertainment for Yuka. They ultimately threw her out of the motel room naked and alone. That's when Matsuri was able to call your parents crying. But Yuka did upload the video to the Internet. At the end of the video, she promised to find the rest of your sisters…including you."

Kagami's face turned more pallid with each word Junichi spoke and she felt her innards beginning to tighten again. She felt short of breath, light-headed, and nauseas again. Sweat fell from her face and she began to pant and sway in her seat, prompting Junichi to take her other hand and hold her.

"Kagami, are you okay?"

She quickly jolted up from her seat and began to pace in the living room. Her eyes flooded and she felt sick to her stomach as she paced. "Sa-so…this whole time?! Yuka was…was… _hunting us?!_ Like we were just some animals?! Why?! Why?! _WHY US?!_ "

"Kagami, Yuka is a depraved psychopath and has no remorse or empathy for other people." Junichi said as he stood and tried to calm her down. "We're going to find her, okay? I promise you we will and we will end this!"

"Ba-ba-but… _my life!"_ Kagami screamed and fell to the floor gripping her head as she cried. _"SHE'S TAKEN EVERYTHING FROM ME! AND YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT MY WHOLE LIFE WAS JUST A GAME TO HER?! WHY…!"_

Kagami's tangent was silenced when her cramps returned and they were worse than ever. Her whole abdomen felt like it was collapsing onto itself and she cried in sheer agony.

"Kagami, what's wrong?!" Junichi exclaimed when he fell to the floor with her and gripped her shoulders.

Kagami continued to squirm in agony. "It hurts! Everything hurts!"

She reached between her legs and felt something wet seeping from her pants. Pulling her hand up, she screamed an unparalleled cry of horror when she saw her fingertips were covered in blood. She begged for help. Junichi wasted no time in scooping her up and rushed her out the door to Mama Sanae's house. He ran the whole way as she continued to cry and scream in pain.

When they arrived, Junichi waited outside the house while the former nurse and caretaker of many people in the neighborhood worked on her. She returned only twenty minutes later and delivered the news, making Junichi palm his face and sink to his knees.

The rainstorm started around the same time Kagami Hiiragi had her miscarriage.

 **A/N: Matsuri's mistake was mentioned in Part 1 in Chapter 3 and 4. Now we are getting close to the end.**


	11. Chapter 11

Why?

It was a simple word and a simple question all at once, yet it was the single-worded question that continued to echo around Junichi's neighborhood even two weeks after their loss. _Why?_ Why did this have to happen to Kagami after all she had been through and after all the efforts she put forth to make everything right? Why did she have to lose her baby? The baby that helped pull her out of the pits of drug and sex abuse. The baby that helped her see the light and mend her misguided ways. The baby that was her saving grace. Now it was gone.

Two weeks after Kagami's miscarriage brought with it the end of August and an ominous crisp in the air. It was the same crisp Konata talked with Hiyori about when planning one of their last outdoor outings for the summer, but the people of Junichi's neighborhood didn't see it that way. They saw it was the dawn of a new and cold era for the infamous couple. Where would their relationship go from here? Would Kagami ever recover from an ordeal as harrowing as this? She had come back from behind on many odds so far, but right now it looked like she was down for the count.

As much as Junichi hated thinking these things, they still exercised abundant staying power in his mind since the miscarriage as he watched over his beloved Kagami. From dawn to dusk every day since Kagami's miscarriage, her place of continuous mourning was on Junichi's bed curled in a ball. In that ball like a scared puppy she stayed curled, occasionally releasing a sniffle and a few more tears to be absorbed by the pillow. Within the past two weeks, she barely ate more than a slice of bread and a glass of water and only left the bed to use the bathroom. Each time she would return straight to the bed and her mourning would start from scratch.

Even Junichi found it difficult to concentrate on his work and responsibilities to the neighborhood and his growing relationship with The Unforgiven Sons Motorcycle Club. The whole ordeal was made more daunting with Yuka Miyakawa's trail remaining cold even with the biker club searching for her as well. Junichi's intuition was sharp, however, and he couldn't help but ponder as he sat in his chair in his bedroom with his eyes on the quietly sobbing Kagami. The timing of Kagami's miscarriage and the turning weather seemed a little too ominous for his taste. He wondered if this horrible ordeal was a sign of Yuka's impending return from the shadows.

He thought of his female adversary like a great mythological monster or plague that followed patterns like the legends of yesteryear living in the contemporary. Just like how each plague of Egypt brought forth by Moses and the Almighty was worse than the last, Junichi wondered if Kagami's miscarriage was another sign that it was a sign of their impending final clash. He also vaguely remembered his time in the United States when he was still in the Self-Defense Forces. He met an American soldier whose name he couldn't recollect, but remembered a few stories he told him. Junichi remembered him telling him he was from a state called West Virginia, a small isolated settlement not known for much outside of its coal industry and above average poverty levels. One thing the state was apparently known for was folklore and the stories that soldier told him were quite memorable now. Junichi couldn't help but huff at one folklore legend called _Mothman_.

It was a legend about a half-man half-moth monster that resided in West Virginia and was known for making appearances shortly before a great tragedy. The American soldier swore on his life that the entity was real and that the 1967 collapse of the Silver Bridge over the Ohio River that killed 46 people was caused by the Mothman after it was sighted near there only days before the collapse. That same soldier also ranted about another creature that inhabited West Virginia and not too far from where he grew up called the _Flatwoods Monster_ , named after the area it was sighted. People claimed to have become sick after encountering it and others believed it to be an extraterrestrial lifeform. Of course, Junichi was a skeptic in that arena.

The light groans and movements from Kagami grabbed Junichi's attention and he sat up in his chair when Kagami slowly pulled herself up. She stared into space as if she was daydreaming. Junichi couldn't help but notice how tangled and unkept her hair had become in the two weeks she stopped investing time into herself. He gently uttered her name.

She remained still for a few more seconds until she turned her head and looked at him. Her face was a haunting pasty shade and the dark shades under her eyes gave her a truly terrifying appearance to anyone seeing her. Junichi would be the only exception that wouldn't run terrified of her. Her eyes were sunk in red puffiness and mirrored her facial expression that had truly seen death and lived to tell the tale.

"Kagami?" He asked again.

She simply sniffed and turned her head again to stare out the window, her hair struggling to come untangled or loose. She sniffed and whispered something inaudible to Junichi.

"What was that?"

She was silent again until she whispered a bit louder it a broken wheeze, "Da-did I…did I do this…?"

Junichi felt his heart tighten after hearing the question. Not because of the words she chose, but by the tone that carried them. Her voice was as pale and hollow as her face and weighted with guilt. The guilt of a remorseful murderer who took the life of someone in a careless and thoughtless manner, like a drunk driver who finally realized in his sobriety that he ran over a pedestrian. But to Junichi, it was like comparing apples to chainsaws. Kagami was no murderer or careless individual. She didn't take her baby's life, but Junichi had an inkling that an outside force named Yuka Miyakawa may still have had a hand in it.

He slowly stood and walked to the side of his bed and sat next to her. He wasted no time in pulling her tight and into his lap, where she found solace and buried her face into his thick, brawny chest.

"No. No you didn't do this. What happened wasn't your fault." Junichi cooed as Kagami continued to choke. "There wasn't anything you could've done differently to prevent this. It was just a horrible tragedy…and no one here, myself included, cannot even begin to express how sorry we are that it happened."

Kagami sniffled again. "It…it was _her_ …"

Junichi shook his head. "I don't want you to think about her right now. You know how she is. She's like a virus. Once she's in your head, she feeds off your emotions and grows stronger that way. Don't give her the satisfaction. Don't let her win."

He continued to hold her close and brush her hair with his free hand. He missed doing this and Kagami missed it as well, even if she didn't say it. Kagami heard everything he said, but it wasn't sinking in. When he told her it wasn't her fault and to not feed Yuka's presence in her own head because both were losing battles. Kagami was convinced that it was Yuka who was responsible for her miscarriage and it was done so in a malicious and calculated way. There was more to it than Ryuji's beatings, she was sure of it. Maybe it was the drugs, maybe it was the trauma of learning how Yuka manipulated Matsuri into bed with her just to torture her with the guilt for the rest of her short life. Regardless of the root cause, Kagami _knew_ it was Yuka that took her baby.

As Junichi continued to hold her, Kagami didn't know where to go from here. She had never felt so defeated and destroyed in her life. All those other times from losing Matsuri, to selling her virginity, and to losing her friends and family because of her drug addictions didn't hold a candle up to the pain she was feeling now. The only thing that came close to hurting more was the fact that no matter where Kagami went and no matter what she did with herself, Yuka would always be casting her shadow over her entire existence. She couldn't escape her.

Kagami slowly sat up and Junichi let her slide away while still holding her hand. She looked up at him with the same defeated puppy eyes and uttered, "What do I do now?"

He tightened his grip on her hand and ran his thumb across it. "You take as much time as you need to mourn and from there, you slowly put your life back together again. No matter what, I'll always be here with you."

Kagami continued to stare into space, still trying to fully comprehend this never-ending horror movie that was her life. She could honestly conclude at this point there was no merciful deity watching over her. There was only the devil and it donned golden hair and a voracious sex and blood lust. Even if Kagami didn't mean to, she was letting Yuka once again take control of her thoughts once again. She could hear the devil's words echo in her mind. That she was garbage. That she was a disgusting slut. That she was a horrid junkie. That she was a baby killer. That she didn't deserve to be loved by someone like Junichi.

"Come on, let's go for a walk." Junichi said and stood up.

Kagami didn't have the strength to say yes or no and needed his help to stand up. He helped fix a light jacket over her torso, held her hand, and the two walked out of his house. The neighborhood was quiet today with only a few passing residents tending to their chores as the changing leaves began to blow off their branches in the icy wind. The neighborhood rested at a higher elevation so they were more exposed to the elements and changing seasons, something the children enjoyed as they always got to play in the leaves or first snowfall first. As they walked down the street towards Mina-chan's favorite spot, Kagami could already see visions of what would never be. She could see herself and Junichi playing with the child they would've raised together. She could see them playing in the leaves together or building a snowman together. All of it was just distant and foolish fantasies at this point.

"Mina-chan keeps asking about you as well." Junichi added, bringing Kagami's attention back to him. She didn't even realize he had been talking to her since they left the house. "She keeps asking me when you're going to feel better so you two can play again. I tried explaining about the baby as best as I could but you know her. Always looking on the bright side."

Kagami nodded and gave a light acknowledging grunt. She squeezed her eyes shut as she felt more tears sting them. She squeezed them even harder when the devil's voice began whispering to her again. This time, she was saying Kagami didn't deserve to live with such good people and that there was only one place in the entire world where she belonged and would be accepted. Kagami felt another tear drip from her eye when she realized where that one place was.

They arrived at the hill where the tree stood at the top overlooking the pond. Junichi once again had to help the weakened Kagami to the top but they eventually reached the summit and they were greeted with a postcard image of autumn scenery. The leaves on the vast array of trees was like the perfect colorful canvas and they reflected perfectly off the crystal water of the unpolluted pond. They slowly sat down under the tree and Junichi pulled Kagami close.

Sitting in silence, Junichi hoped that the tranquil spot would do Kagami good. He knew his words didn't carry any weight in what she was feeling so he hoped that this familiar spot would help them both. He hoped while sitting there, Kagami would be reminded of all the fun times they had there. From the time Mina-chan first brought her there, to a stargazing date they had, and all the other fun activities on that hill.

Instead, Kagami felt cold. The changing seasons combined with the elevation of the neighborhood allowed the devastated girl to see her breath as she exhaled gently. The cold only reminded her of death and she snuggled closer into Junichi's warmth.

She whispered again, her voice still broken. Junichi couldn't hear it.

"What was that?"

Kagami slowly lifted her face and stared at the pond while Junichi looked down at her. "I said…I love you, Junichi."

It was the devastation of losing the child. That's what Junichi would later cite as the cause of his miscalculation in reading Kagami's tone. Had he been thinking clearer, he would've seen her intent as her tone was riddled with that utterance of a person speaking their last words before death. He would later kick his own ass for not seeing it because the impending consequences were too ghastly. But that was several hours in the future. For now, Junichi pulled her tighter.

"I love you, too." He replied sincerely but naively.

Kagami sniffed again. "But…but how could you love… _a baby killer?"_

Kagami trailed off towards the end but her dark sentiment was still loud enough to enter Junichi's ears and enrage him. He quickly snapped around and grabbed Kagami by her arms. She looked up at him, her eyes still swollen and puffy, but his eyes were dry and full of anger.

"What did you just say?!" He barked, making her wince slightly. "Don't you _ever_ call yourself something that horrible ever again. Do you understand me?"

He shook her slightly with his final sentence and Kagami nodded. Junichi quickly released her arms and gently rubbed them. He then pulled her into a tight embrace, noting with dark realization that she felt like deadweight in his grasp. She snuggled her face into his chest until she lifted her lips to his ear. She whispered again.

Junichi's eyes widened and Kagami could feel his heart speed in his chest when he heard her. This time he did hear her clearly, or at least he thought he did. Wanting to confirm this stunning request, he asked her again.

"You heard me. I said…make love to me." Kagami replied, a dark shadow still casting itself in her mind. "I've never felt so cold in my life. I just…want to feel warm again…and to feel like a human again. Please…sleep with me."

Despite his many life experiences, Junichi still gulped and felt his heart race upon hearing the request. He wondered if she was thinking clearly when she asked this and still wanting to remain a civil gentleman, he remained skeptical of her request.

"Kagami, I don't think that—"

"Please, Junichi." She interrupted, her voice still cold and bland. "I love you and I want to express how I feel about you. I'm feeling…very vulnerable right now and need you. Please…don't leave me alone."

Kagami concluded her plea by slowly curling her hand around Junichi's and they held each other's hands under the tree. Junichi could honestly admit his feelings were mutual towards Kagami and the thought had crossed his mind a time or two, but he still wondered about the circumstances. Sure, her body had physically recovered since the miscarriage and she was healthy enough for sex, but was her mind? All these practical thoughts ran through Junichi's mind and he was so blindsided by her request that he couldn't see what Kagami was _truly_ thinking. She had the same look in her eyes death row inmates have as they sit to enjoy their last meal before their execution.

Junichi still couldn't see that he was essentially talking to a ghost. Whether he _couldn't_ see it or _wouldn't_ see it would be another concept he would debate with himself later in the day when he would finally discover Kagami's intent, unfortunately when it was too late. He allowed his love for her take over and he cradled her hands.

He lowered his forehead to hers and she readied herself. He whispered, "Okay…"

The two kissed briefly under the tree until he stood her up. Their hands still connected, Junichi led them back down the hill and through the neighborhood. The neighborhood was still quiet when they returned to his house and closed the bedroom door behind them.

Kagami rested on his bed as Junichi positioned himself over her, their make out session continuing. She slowly undid his shirt and pulled it off him. They took a quick pause so Kagami could take off her shirt, letting her encased breasts fall free and she rested back on the bed. Junichi undid her bra from the front, exposing them and he began to caress them, earning a few moans from Kagami.

"You okay, Kagami?" He whispered.

She slowly opened her eyes. "Junichi…I'll say no…if I don't want to do something."

He slowly nodded and resumed kissing her. He moved his lips down to her neck where he gently licked, earning more pleasurable moans from Kagami as they finished undressing each other. It hurt Kagami when she had to give him a condom, knowing she was still infected with HIV and didn't want to get him sick as well. It also made her want to cry knowing she would never be able to bear his children as she often thought about in her fantasies in days now long past.

Junichi lowered his hips and slowly entered her. She released a pleasurable yelp as the back and forth motion warmed her insides. For the first time since her miscarriage, Kagami looked at him and smiled and Junichi continued to make love to her. She wrapped her legs around his lower back and pulled him in deeper as she hugged him.

"Junichi…it feels good," she whispered delicately in-between moans. "I feel…you inside…me…it feels…great…"

"I love you, Kagami," Junichi whispered as he cupped her face in his hands.

"I love you, too." She whispered.

The two continued to express their love until it was ended appropriately with a deep kiss. When it was over, Junichi pulled out of her and the two lovers panted as they cuddled next to each other. Junichi hugged Kagami tightly and she held onto the muscular forearm wrapped around her chest. The sex drained Kagami of her little energy and Junichi didn't have to wait long until she fell asleep.

When he was sure she was asleep, he slowly got out of the bed and dressed himself. He dressed himself warmly for his impending motorcycle ride back to Saitama. Now that he and Kagami had taken that next big step in a relationship, he thought it appropriate to take certain matters into his own hands. These matters pertained specifically to the Hiiragi family. Kagami's last contact with them was weeks ago when Miki's stolen heirlooms were returned to her but Junichi thought they deserved to know more than simple drive-by discourse. Especially in lieu of recent tragic events.

He left the house and when the door closed behind him, Kagami slowly opened her eyes. She glanced over to make sure she was alone and when she saw she was, her eyes filled with tears again. Making love for the first time instead of having sex felt wonderful and she cried for many reasons because of it. She cried because she never imagined she could love anyone as much as she loved him, and she cried because she knew it was going to be the last pleasurable thing she ever felt in this lifetime.

When she heard the Harley Davidson Fatboy fire up and vroom down the street, she curled herself tighter. She uttered, "Thank you, Junichi…for everything…"

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

The past two weeks at the Hiiragi household also brought with it the sentiment of a new era. Miki sat at her kitchen counter clutching the handwritten note from her estranged daughter that came with the box of heirlooms. It really was a bizarre spectacle that unfolded outside her house when the box was delivered, but one that Miki was slowly beginning to realize that she needed. Her eyes were locked on the note as she read it for the eighth time that day.

 _Dear Mom, Dad, Inori, and Tsukasa,_

 _First off, I want to once again express my deepest and sincerest apologies for everything I've done and everything I've put all of you through. Not a day has gone by that I haven't regretted everything that has happened and not a day has gone by where I haven't thought about Matsuri, Misao, and everyone else I've hurt. My purpose in writing you this is my feeble and undeserving attempt to try and hopefully one day get back in touch with you guys. A lot has happened to me since I left. I'm clean now and one hundred percent detoxed from all drugs and I also want you to know that I'm pregnant. It's okay because I'm staying with a man who took me in and we're dating now. He helped me get clean and is helping me through my pregnancy. He is also the one who helped find mom's family heirlooms which I asked him to return to you. He's a very good man and I hope you can meet him one day because I truly believe he's the one for me. Once again, I am profoundly sorry for everything I have done and one day I hope we can be reunited._

 _Sincerest love,_

 _Kagami_

 _P.S. If I have a daughter I'm going to name her Matsuri._

Miki felt the tears drown her eyes until two droplets fell. She couldn't help but scrunch the letter between her gripping hands as Tadao entered the kitchen. He saw his wife beginning to cry and he sighed gently as this was yet another pattern becoming too rhythmic in his house.

"Reading that letter again?" He asked while taking a seat next to her.

Miki put it down, sniffled, and nodded. "Yeah…and I can't stop thinking about her…and how we treated her. We just…threw her out. Like garbage."

He reached across the table and cupped her hand. "Hey, I told you this already; you made a good call at the time. You were being a good mother for Tsukasa and Inori and you saw Kagami as a danger to us all and she was. None of us knew she was pregnant and if we did I'm sure we would have treated the situation differently."

Miki grunted slightly until she gently nodded while whispering, "Yeah…but why do I still feel so guilty?"

"Maternal instincts," Tadao replied. "A child can leave the house but a real mother _never_ stops loving them no matter how much they hurt their mother."

Miki sniffed again. "It's true…"

"Let me brew you some coffee, honey." Tadao stood and started the coffee pot.

As the coffee began to drip into the coffeepot, Miki slowly uncrumpled the note again and reread it. Each time she would see the word _pregnant_ her heart would tighten and the tears would become heavier. She slowly shook her head, knowing that baby was caused by the prostitution and she didn't like the sound of her daughter living with a strange man. If that man had anything to do with the heirlooms being delivered in such a manner with those bikers, Miki only lamented at what kind of hole her estranged daughter got herself into this time. The only comfort she could take was the assurance that Kagami was fine and not homeless while pregnant. Despite the very warm sentiment regarding the baby's potential name at the end, Miki still couldn't help but admit her husband was right. She still loved Kagami and wished she was home.

Inori overheard snippets of the conversation as she crept to Tsukasa's room, but for the past two weeks it was all a rerun for her. Miki's heirlooms once again rested in the large display case where Kagami once kidnapped them for drug money, but the letter that came with them became the new star attraction in the family. Since then, the heirlooms resumed their old job of collecting dust behind a glass door. That wasn't the only thing that resumed its old job.

When Inori entered Tsukasa's room, she found her little sister curled on her bed, her back resting against the wall. She hugged a pillow tightly with her face nestled deeply in it. Inori glanced at her desk and saw their parents' wedding anniversary present sitting there still covered with a small blanket and turned her back to her. She cleared her throat.

"Ready to surprise mom and dad?" She asked.

Tsukasa slowly lifted her head. She hadn't been crying as her eyes were dry but her face was gloomy on this cherished day. She sighed and nodded.

"Still thinking about Kagami?"

Tsukasa nodded.

Inori came over and sat with her. "I know you're worried about her and her baby, but we have to rely on Kagami's note when she said she's safe and healthy. If Kagami is doing better as she claims to be, then you and I both know she'll do everything in her power to keep that baby safe."

Tsukasa nodded again. "I do and I don't doubt that, but my sessions with Dr. Kishimoto have made me feel better about everything that has happened and I can honestly forgive Kagami for everything she did to us…and to me."

Inori stole a quick glance at the bandana covering Tsukasa's forced tattoo. She had been trying to pull it off as a fashion statement since the ordeal but was still self-conscious about it.

"I really hope she comes back soon. I think being an aunt would be awesome." Tsukasa's voice chirped towards the end.

Inori smiled and rubbed her shoulder. "Remember what Kagami said in the letter? She said it herself that one day she hopes we can reconnect but for now, I kinda agree with her sentiment. I think we all need just a little more time. But for now, let's go cheer mom and dad up."

Tsukasa looked up at her sister and nodded in agreement with a smile. The two sisters got off the bed and Tsukasa took it upon herself to get the gift. When they arrived downstairs, Miki and Tadao were slowly sipping their coffee. Their mother still had a gloomy expression about her but that slowly faded when she glanced and saw her remaining two daughters enter the kitchen.

"Happy Anniversary you two!" Inori and Tsukasa chirped together as the latter put the covered gift on the table.

"Oh my, what's all this?" Miki asked with a replenished smile.

"We know things have been, well, odd around here lately, and we wanted to make your anniversary extra special." Inori said. "So Tsukasa and I put some money together and got you guys a little something."

"Ta-da!" Tsukasa exclaimed as she ripped the cover off the gift and chirped with her sister, "Happy Anniversary!"

Miki's eyes glowed in amazement when she saw it. The girls got her and Tadao a customized wall frame with their first wedding picture in it. The frame was rectangular shaped and on the other end was a copy of Miki and Tadao together at the family shrine last Christmas, the couple posing in a similar fashion. In the center of the picture frame were two silver roses joined together by a gold ring at their stems. "Celebrating 30 years together" was also engraved on a small plaque at the bottom of the frame.

"Oh my goodness…it's so beautiful," Miki gasped as she held it up as Tadao came to admire it too. "Thank you, girls. Thank you so much. I love it."

"Yeah that's quite a piece you girls got us. Thank you." Tadao added.

"So is there anything special you two want to do today?" Inori asked.

Miki still stared at her gift and felt her eyes water the more she observed it. She sniffed a bit, grabbing her daughters' and husband's attention. They stared at her with a concerned expression, seeing the wheels turning in her head. Tsukasa glanced at the table and saw Kagami's letter resting there and knew her mom was still having a hard time on her special day with everything that had happened since she graduated high school only a few months ago. Her anniversary was a day to not only celebrate her marriage to Tadao Hiiragi, but to also rejoice in everything that she has, especially her family. It still deeply hurt Miki knowing that one of her daughters was no longer of this world and the other had all but destroyed her own life, so the Hiiragi housewife was feeling extra vulnerable today.

"I…I want to go visit Matsuri." Miki uttered while resting the frame back on the table.

The mood quickly fell silent and real. Everyone knew what she meant, but a family trip to the cemetery seemed a little too dark for such a bright and special day. Regardless, the Hiiragi family had no choice but to lament the fact that this was their world from now on. Whenever they wanted to feel comfort or hold a conversation with Matsuri, it would require a fifteen minute drive to a large grassy field and talk to a marble stone. Still, the Hiiragi family agreed that a trip to the cemetery would be appropriate. It would have to be their way of including Matsuri on the special day.

The Hiiragi's got in their family car while Tadao informed the police officers guarding their house of their trip and that they wouldn't need an escort to and from the cemetery. He also expressed the sentimental reasons behind this special day and why they obviously preferred their privacy. The police agreed and promised to watch over their house while they were out.

On the way to the cemetery, they stopped at a floral shop and bought a fresh bouquet of flowers to put on Matsuri's plot. Their drive there was a somber one and not even the music on the radio could brighten the mood. Tsukasa, the usual cheerful, innocent and happy member of the family, sighed to herself that this was now a part of their lives. Worst of all, even she was forced to mature enough through this whole ordeal and safely conclude that the pain of her sister's death and her twin's downfall would never go away. It would just be another simple part of life like death and taxes, as they say.

When the Hiiragi family arrived at the cemetery, they parked behind a Harley Davidson Fatboy motorcycle. They barely noticed the vehicle as they got out of the car and started walking towards Matsuri's grave while Miki carried the bouquet. The family climbed a small hill and when they reached the summit, they were disappointed when they saw another person standing near Matsuri's tombstone. He appeared to be another mourner paying his own respects to another grave. The Hiiragi family didn't have a problem with that, but they still preferred to be alone with their late family member instead of inadvertently including a stranger in their own remembering.

The closer they got, however, the realized that the young man was not standing above a gravesite near Matsuri's. He was standing above Matsuri's. A small bouquet of flowers already rested against the marble tombstone that he appeared to have placed there and it worried the family. Tadao took point as Miki slowed a bit with her girls and she watched her husband approach the young man. He was an intimidating figure as he stood tall above even Tadao and was clearly muscular and covered in tattoos.

The young man turned his head to the approaching family and stiffened when he saw them. To their surprise, he smiled when he saw Tadao. Despite his intimidating stature, his smile was genuine and his voice was soft when he bowed while saying, "Hiiragi-sama…it has been a while."

It took a second for Tadao to recognize him but when he got a closer look at his face, it all came coming back to him. It had been a while since their last meeting but Tadao remembered it fondly. He remembered giving special counsel to a young man who had just returned from the Self-Defense Forces only to find his home and neighborhood in disarray. The young man was considering taking drastic action against the perpetrators who were wreaking havoc, but Tadao tried to teach him the importance of nonviolence. That there will always be violent and evil people in the world and deciding to stoop to their level would only add fuel to the fires of mutual hatred. However, even Tadao was starting to see some holes in that logic in lieu of a certain psychotic young woman who was stalking his youngest daughter.

"Watanabe-san?" Tadao asked. "Watanabe-san, is it you?"

Junichi smiled and nodded. "Yes, sir. And please call me Junichi."

"What are you doing here, son?" Tadao asked and eyed his daughter's grave.

Junichi turned back the tombstone and his sorrowful expression returned. "As it were, I was coming to see you, sir. But I would've been remised if I didn't come here first and pay my respects to your daughter. I've been wanting to do so for the longest time but haven't been able to make the journey until now."

Tadao slowly smiled as his family approached, seeing Junichi was no danger. "That's very honorable of you, Junichi, and thank you for that. Please let me introduce you to my family."

Tadao had Miki bring herself and the girls over and Junichi once again expressed the same polite and humble formalities to them. It didn't take long for the conversation to be steered towards Kagami as the reason behind his visit to Saitama. Miki asked if he was the boy Kagami wrote about in her letter, which he confirmed. He was also quick to tell them that everything she wrote was true in that she was safe and clean from the drugs. Miki asked if it was true that her daughter was pregnant. Junichi, not being the one to dampen their trip to pay homage to Matsuri, said he was hoping he could discuss it in a more formal setting so the Hiiragi's invited them back to their house. Junichi gave them a few minutes alone with Matsuri's grave before they made the trip back.

When they got home, Tadao had to quickly convince their police protection that Junichi wasn't a part of the biker gang that attacked them before, but of course Junichi kept that part about himself quiet. When Miki served Junichi a cup of tea and they all sat together in the living room, Junichi laid it all out on the table. Kagami lost the baby two weeks ago and she was obviously devastated by it. Junichi hated to be the one to tell them that but felt they had the right to know everything that was happening with Kagami. They also didn't know that she was suffering from HIV but the fact that Junichi assured them that she had all the medication she needed didn't soothe the pain.

"So…so sis hasn't left the bed or the house since she lost…her baby…?" Tsukasa sniffled as she dabbed her teary eye with a handkerchief.

"I'm afraid so, Tsukasa-chan." Junichi said. "I didn't want to come here to tell you all of this to hurt you, but I've also been increasingly concerned about Kagami's state of mind. When she wrote that letter with the family heirlooms she said she wanted to rekindle with everyone here but felt that you needed more time. Well I'm here to try and help bridge the gap in lieu of recent circumstances. Kagami is in a very vulnerable place now and I believe one of the best things for her right now is for her to be surrounded by family."

"Did she tell you about everything she's done to us?" Inori growled, her voice still laced with looming animosity for her younger sister.

Junichi nodded. "Yes, she did. She told me everything starting from the party she and her late friend attended that started this whole ordeal. Believe me when I say she's still not easy on herself when she talks about it…especially when she talks about…Matsuri-san."

The room fell silent.

"Regardless, I know it is none of my business, but I do want what's best for Kagami and I think it would be good for her to reconnect with her family." Junichi added, earning a few sympathetic looks from the family. "I…I care a lot about her and…I…I just want to see her safe and happy again."

Tadao slowly looked up at his guest and exchanged a look with his wife. She too gave him the same expression. Their parental instincts were unified in this case and they both came to the same conclusion. Miki waited for her husband to take the lead so she could play her complementing role.

"Girls…would you excuse us for a moment? I need to have a word with our guest in private." Tadao stated.

Miki nodded. "Come on, girls. Let's make some more tea."

Tsukasa and Inori could sense the mood had shifted between them but didn't protest. They stood and followed their mother out of the living room and Miki closed the door behind her. Silence was established between the two men for a moment. Junichi knew where this was going to go but still paid Tadao the courtesy of opening the discussion first. It was his daughter Junichi was sleeping with after all.

"I first want to thank you for taking care of Kagami. If she truly did tell you everything, then I don't need to waste our time by recalling that she has been through a lot. We all have." Tadao stated, his fatherly aurora showing and Junichi nodded in acknowledgment. "You have become… _close_ …with my daughter over the time she has been staying at your neighborhood. Correct?"

Junichi nodded.

"I see. Well you're a smart young man so I don't think I have to go over the list of why I do not approve of you having a relationship with my daughter." Tadao added, his voice still fatherly stern.

Again, Junichi nodded and added, "I understand."

"Good," Tadao added and slowly sighed, contemplating where his family was going to go next. "I will allow Kagami to come home and I would like you to bring her to us. We will once again try to get her the help she needs since losing this baby has obviously changed things for all of us. After that…I'm going to ask for you to leave us alone and for you to not see Kagami anymore."

Junichi remained deadpan.

"I understand you have feelings for her and that you want to see her happy, but as her father I'm saying the last thing she needs is a relationship right now. And to be perfectly honest, Junichi, the thought of Kagami being in a relationship with someone who has aspired to the role that you have in the manner you have…well that deeply frightens me." Tadao added, Junichi remaining deadpan. "I will admit I do not know all of your vices and crimes, but I do know that you are still a troubled youth who believes in violence. Kagami got too involved with violent individuals once before and it was Tsukasa that was forced to pay the price for it. When Kagami is back with us, I would appreciate it if you and your gang would give us peace and distance. Especially for Kagami. After all, we just want what's best for her."

Junichi remained deadpan and unyielding, even when Tadao forbade him from seeing Kagami. He slowly nodded and responded, "I understand your concern, Hiiragi-sama, and appreciate your directness with who and what I am. And you're right when you said I want the best for her and to me, the best for is coming home and rekindling with her family for this especially difficult time for her."

Tadao formed a small smile as he heard this mature young man's reply.

"But if a relationship with me also turns out to be what's best for her as well…then so be it."

Tadao's smile quickly faded. "What was that?"

"You heard me, Hiiragi-sama," Junichi replied sharply, though his voice remained calm and noncombative. He added: "With all due respect, you were wrong when you said I have _feelings_ for your daughter. I don't. I'm in love with your daughter, Hiiragi-sama. I love her more than anyone else in this world and she's opened my eyes and heart to thoughts, ideas, and even feelings I never knew I had. Kagami is also an adult now and free to make her own choice. Make no mistake; I'll make sure that her number one priority is still rekindling with you and the family and I will give her time and space. However, if the day ever comes where she wants to stay with me, we will be together."

Tadao slowly narrowed his eyes at Junichi. Most of him wanted to continue to object and forbid Junichi from seeing his daughter, even going so far as to consider police involvement. However, as a husband, he could see the conviction in the young man's eyes. He was telling the truth when he said he was in love with Kagami and as a man and husband, Tadao couldn't help but respect Junichi's principle. Before Tadao could add anything else, Junichi slowly stood.

"If you'll excuse me, Hiiragi-sama, I will go back to my neighborhood and bring back Kagami. Thank you for having me in your home and thank your wife for the tea for me." He concluded with a bow and finished with, "I'll show myself out."

Junichi left the living room and the Hiiragi household without another word. His final establishment left Tadao completely speechless as Miki slowly inched her way back into the living room to be filled in on the strange conversation her husband had. He reluctantly told his wife that they may soon have a _very_ unorthodox son-in-law in the near future.

(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)-(-)

Junichi felt colder as he ascended the elevated road leading to his neighborhood. Colder than usual as he glanced up and stared at the opaque clouds blocking out the sun. He also couldn't help but notice a higher number of colored leaves had detached themselves from the trees the further he rode. His old military instincts kicked in and he started to develop a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach as he recalled the events of today.

He was finally able to pry Kagami away from the bed, only to take her back to it and have sex with her. It was as he was riding and saw his neighborhood come into view that he started to see past his own emotions for the troubled girl and into the possibility that she had darker intentions for herself and that their time together was like a last meal for a death row inmate. He gave the bike more throttle as he rounded the final corner and sped down the long straight street leading to the houses.

A few residents were walking about with their children as he came to a screeching halt in front of his house. A few of his soldiers patrolling the neighborhood were startled by his abrupt arrival and ran towards him, sensing danger. Junichi dismounted the motorcycle and ran into his house, heading straight to the bedroom.

The first series in a long-term delivery schedule of self-induced ass kicking's first arrived for him when he saw Kagami Hiiragi was no longer asleep in his bed. He stood in his doorframe, jaw slowly unhinging when one of his soldiers stormed in his house, rifle ready.

"What's going on, boss?"

He spun back to him. "Has anyone seen Kagami?!"

The soldier shook his head and dashed back to the open front door. "Hey has anyone seen Kagami?!"

Word suddenly engulfed the neighborhood that Kagami was missing and all the residents began combing the area for her. When Junichi dashed outside again, Mina-chan was waiting next to his motorcycle.

"Junichi-kun, I saw Kagami-onee-chan!" She happily exclaimed, still innocent to the growing issue.

Junichi kneeled down to her and gently placed his hands on her shoulders. With a smile, he whispered, "Very good, Mina-chan. Did she say where she was going or what she was going to do?"

Mina-chan nodded with a smile. "Yes. She said she was going home to where she belonged. She also told me to be a good girl and to also be a strong one. I don't get it, Junichi-kun. I thought this was her home. She's coming back, right?"

Junichi glanced away and thought. _Going home? That doesn't make any sense. I was just there and…OH NO! SHE WOULDN'T…WOULD SHE?!_

Junichi smiled back at Mina-chan and patted her head, earning a giggle from her. "Yes it, Mina-chan. Kagami just went to say hi to a few people but I'm going to go pick her up right now."

"Yay," the little girl cheered. "Then onee-chan and I can play again."

Junichi nodded and straddled his bike as the little girl backed away and readied to cover her ears. Junichi pulled one of his soldiers close and whispered, "Call Bullseye and the rest of The Forsaken Sons and tell them to head to the Aku District. I have a feeling everything in this story is about to come to a head."

Junichi started the bike, turned around, and sped for the Aku District. As he rode, he reached into his vest and cocked the hammer of the pistol sitting in its holster.


End file.
